Mother in the Fire
by Dementian
Summary: When Hina, mother of Yukina and Hiei, becomes a new healer for the Urameshi team, she is given a second chance at life. When a cruel and tyranical figure from Yukina's past resurfaces and advances upon Hiei, Hina may have to give up her life to save him.
1. Easy Fix

Hi there everyone, this is Dementian… This story plot is one that I've been thinking about for a long time, and want to give it a try. It's about Hina being returned to Hiei and Yukina in their time of need. I hope that everyone will enjoy this story…. Read and review!

Sky blue and black, streaked with the underlying pink that kept the spirit world rolling… the weather was breezy and the temperature fair. Ogres milled about, shuffling papers and drinking coffee from the community thermos while a few grim reapers on oars soared about overhead, carrying souls too and fro. It was the wind down to a busy day and per usual Koenma was behind his desk, his toddler chin propped upon his small fists as he sucked ferociously on his pacifier. King of Sorrow, they should call him. What he'd give to have a day out from the cold castle walls of his inheritance. Rubbing his tired eyes, he shuffled a few papers to be stamped, and re inked his rubber thimble, getting ready for another round of paper smacking. It was quite a task, looking thru every file of the living and the dead. He needed a vacation.

Just as he had his rubber stamp posed to strike, his arm fell down again, heavy with its weight. He couldn't bear to have to stamp again. Throwing the thick thimble down, he wiped his red dyed hands on his velvet yellow sash and relaxed in his large chair. There was much to be done, aside from the paperwork of souls. For one there was the upcoming Dark Tournament that had to be organized. Of course, his team would be entering… Koenma had no doubt that they would win again. Perhaps this time (if the stadium didn't crumble like before) they'd have a chance to make a wish before the committee (if they didn't all die like before). Memories of the previous Dark Tournament were enough to make Koenma have a headache. Sakio had been a lunatic that was for certain, killing off all his betting partners and blowing up the stadium just to fulfill his promises. If they were lucky, there wouldn't be a repeat of _that _particular episode.

Yanking open the file drawer below his desk, Koenma pulled out the thick file for his team profiles, re checking them for errors and updating them where was needed. There were Yusuke and Kuwabara's files all in order… and there was Kurama's, full of self put errors to confuse the judges into thinking he wasn't the notorious Yoko Kurama. Oh how evil he was indeed! Koenma grinned, baring his canines as he yanked out Hiei's file for one more check over. Hiei's was the most difficult, mainly because Hiei was a bastard and didn't like to give up the goods on his history. But Koenma had an ace up his sleeve named Kurama, and from the scarlet haired fox he was able to gather enough information to appease the committee. Unlike the first time out on the field, Koenma has also enlisted Botan and Yukina to step in as healers. But even with their combined powers, Koenma still felt a little nervous about sending his boys back into battle. He remembered all too well the times that Kurama had been crumpled on the sidelines, covered with vines. Or the times when Hiei's arm resembled a charred piece of fish on the grill to where he couldn't even hold his sword without wincing. Even the times when Kuwabara had gotten his ass handed to him again and again on the field when he was up against the leader of the ninja team. Then again, once Yukina had showed up… well… Koenma stifled a snicker.

He needed another healer, but who to choose? He needed someone the team could trust and rely on. Someone they could grow to call one of their group. Koenma also needed someone who wouldn't be eager to watch two 'traitors' and two humans die at the hands of other demons. After all, Yusuke and Kuwabara were widely hated in the demon world, and Hiei and Kurama were practically spat upon for their friendships with 'ningens'. No… the choice of a new healer would have to be one dealt with care.

"Ogre!" Koenma snapped. At once, George hauled into the room, his wild skin loincloth flapping.

"Yes, Koenma sir?" George even raised a hand in salute. Koenma rolled his eyes at the stupidity of it all.

"Get me files on our top healers! Living or dead." Koenma clapped his hands and George sped off, slamming the door behind him. Koenma winced at the bang, "And quit slamming that door!"

It only took George half an hour to return. He came into the room with a stack of files, all of them neatly stamped. He handed them over and Koenma flipped open the first cover. So the afternoon progressed into night as the pink tinged sky slowly turned dark blue and filled with stars. Koenma mulled over each healer with a cup of coffee in his free hand as he sucked on his pacifier with deep thought. Botan stopped by near one in the morning, knocking lightly on the door.

"Koenma, sir?" Botan poked her blue head in, "Why are you still up?"

"Botan." Koenma nodded and she stepped inside, closing the door gently behind her, "Sit down; I have a matter of importance to discuss."

She sat, her pink kimono gently pressed against her knees as she waited with rapt attention. Her bubble gum eyes were full of curiosity.

"Our team needs another healer for the Dark Tournament. You and Yukina simply won't suffice. You'll drain your energy if you two have to take care of the boys by yourself." Koenma shuffled a few of the stacks as he spoke, "So I've been looking thru the files of our best healers. Is there any that you can recommend?"

"Healers." Botan tapped a finger to her chin in thought, "None that I can think of, sir. But surely we can find one suitable here?" She gestured to the stack of papers. Koenma shook his crowned head.

"I don't know, Botan…" Koenma admitted, "I don't want to put the lives of our boys in the hands of a total stranger. You know how unpopular they are."

"I can agree." Botan nodded, so that her blue pony tail bounced on her shoulders. "If only we had another healer available."

"Yukina is a good girl." Koenma thought aloud, "Surely she must know of other healers."

"She left the glacier village when she set out to find her brother. I don't think she'll be keen to return sir." Botan said.

"That's true." Koenma mulled it over, "Any kin still alive?"

"I don't think so. Her mother committed suicide after Hiei was thrown from the valley and I don't think she had any sisters." Botan narrowed her eyes as she thought it thru.

"Suicide you say?" Koenma felt an idea pop into his head, "Do you think she'd be amongst the company of our dead?"

"It's worth a shot." Botan offered. At once, Koenma rose from his chair.

"Ogre!" Koenma called out again. George returned, bleary eyed and sleepy as he yawned obscenely .

"Yes, Koenma sir…" George mumbled, rubbing his tired eyes. "Have you found the healer?"

"Get me the file on Yukina and Hiei's mother!" Koenma ordered.

"But sir, it's almost two in the morning-"

"I said now!" Koenma cried out, near a temper tantrum. Botan's eye brows nearly hit her hairline at Koenma's anger. If he wasn't careful, he'd get a spanking!

"Yes Koenma sir." George sighed, looking close to tears as he trudged off.

"Koenma sir, do you think it wise to bring forth Hiei and Yukina's mother? She might throw their entire relationship into light, and I don't think Hiei would want that." Botan spoke up.

Koenma relaxed back into his chair. "I don't want the team's lives in the hands of strangers! Who better to heal the team than a mother of a member?"

"That's true, but sir-!"

"Not to mention these lies Hiei tells. They need to stop." Koenma ordered. "He's come far from the criminal he once was. There's no need for him to be ashamed."

"You can't rush these things, sir." Botan spoke sympathetically. "Believe me, I've had trouble keeping the secret to myself as well since I'm a blabber mouth and Hiei's a telepath, but don't you think that Hiei should be able to tell Yukina the truth on his own time?"

"We haven't got all day!" Koenma threw his hands up in the air, "I don't see why he has to keep this facade going! Yukina's a good girl, she won't look down on him or disown him! I bet she'll cheer and cry!"

"I can agree, but I still think that Hiei should be the one to-"

George knocked on the door, poking his horned head in with bleary eyes. "Here's the file you requested, sir." George handed over a slim file to Koenma who took it from him with a yank.

"Very good, ogre." Koenma nodded, "You may retire to bed."

George practically fled the room, slamming the door on his way out.

"Stop slamming that door!" Koenma shrieked. He resettled in his chair and flipped open the file, so that both he and Botan could see. They peered down, curious as to what they'd find.

Whatever they were expecting, it wasn't this.

The file showed only her first name is small print: Hina. Underneath that was the small phrase, "committed suicide at age 540. Reasons are unknown." Everything else was blank.

"My goodness, she certainly kept her facts to herself." Botan spoke up after a moment's hesitant silence. Koenma flipped the file over on its back side to see the number 18937 in thick red writing.

"She's in room 18937." Koenma looked back up at Botan, their eyes meeting. "Why don't we drop by for a visit?"

"I don't know, sir." Botan shook her head, "It is very late, and I doubt she'll be willing to speak."

"Ah ,Botan." Koenma gave her a dashing smile around his pacifier. "You don't understand the methods of persuasion I hold. I have a feeling that Hina will be more than willing to help us."

They traveled together, walking along the quiet hallways of the spirit world side by side. Outside the domed windows stars twinkled merrily in dark blue sky. As they made their way down the long rows of rooms, they kept silent. Koenma stretched his legs, transforming into his teenager form to allow himself more leg room. He kept Hina's file tucked safely under his arm as he strode along, wondering all the while what she might look like or what she might say. Being the mother of two split personalities left her own in the gray of Koenma's mind. Would she be dark and unwilling like her son? Or would she be gentle and understanding like her daughter?

At last they reached her room. It's only feature was a simple handle and the brass numbers on it's front. They gleamed eerily in the moonlight and Koenma shared a quick glance with Botan. Who would they find on the other side of this door? A willing mother or an angry and bitter woman…?


	2. Hina

It was with a gentle turn of the wrist that Koenma opened the door to Hina's room, and forever changed the lives of his teammates. In future years, he would look back on that moment as the monumental one that had altered the course of Hiei and Hina's lives. If only he had been wiser. If only he had been less selfish, more understanding. If only he had known what consequences would befall his foolish choices... perhaps he would never have opened the door. Some would say that when opportunity knocks, a man should open the door. But Koenma would later understand that what was meant to be was meant to be... for better or for worse... and the hands of man could only bring sorrow, not good.

Inside, he found the room to be quiet, still, and cold. There lay a futon matt with a few spare blankets in one corner, beside which a small beside table housed a few sparse items. There was no wardrobe full of clothes and shoes. No pictures on the mantel to depict happiness of other times, or family members on special days. There was no joy to be shown... to be recalled. Koenma shivered, drawing his yellow sash close to his neck where goose bumps had begun to grow. He wondered if Botan sensed the strange chill as well. When he looked, he found he was correct, for his poor grim reaper was shivering in her sock clad shoes, looking around afraid as if she expected a ghost to jump out and frighten them all.

"...Hello?" Botan called out, her normally bubbly voice timid and meek, "Hina? Are you in..." Botan's voice trailed away, and Koenma could understand why. For on the mantel where dust was collecting by the inches, a photo sat in a worn and beaten frame. It's subjects (a man and a woman embracing) were very peculiar, in that the woman looked oddly like an older Yukina and the man... well... The man looked like Hiei, plain and simple. Short in stature yet slightly taller than the woman, eyes like glowing coals full of burning brutality and passions. His hair, jet black and mussed was tossing in an unseen wind, so that a few white stripes could be shown. He even sported a goatee, which was braided and knotted by a few bones. The woman was tugging on the goatee playfully, her bright red eyes keen and happy. Both of them were smiling suggestively. Botan reached out to touch the picture, but upon touching it's surface she recoiled her fingers as if ashamed of her actions. Koenma patted her kindly on the shoulder, and listened intently. Where was their house guest?

Koenma was surprised to hear what sounded like a dombra not too far off, and listened intently to the direction of the noise. A balcony was dead ahead, just as sparse and quiet as the room save for the few distant plucking of chords.

"What is that?" Botan whispered, "... Is that... a guitar?"

"There." Koenma pointed out towards the balcony. Both of them could see thru the billowing white curtains a woman hunched over something. For some reason, the sight of that woman sent chills up Koenma's spin. Something was not right.

Botan stepped forward, ever the one to make first introductions. Koenma was impressed with her courage. After all, they did not know what kind of shape Hina would be in once they met her. She could be as decent and docile as her daughter. Then again she could be as savage and severe as her son... who knew...?

"Excuse me, Hina?" Botan stepped out onto the balcony so that her wooden shoes clattered on the concrete, "I hate to interrupt you, but Lord Koenma has requested to speak with..." Botan's voice failed her once again as the dombra stopped playing abruptly. Koenma looked on from the entrance to the balcony, his eyes narrowed. The moment of truth had come as Hina rose up from her spindle legged chair, and slowly turned around.

She was a thin woman with high cheeks bones and a hollowed face. Her eyes were dark scarlet, and puffy. Her hair which once must have been thick and full was thin and greying, drawn tight against her skull into a long pony tale that descended halfway down her waist. She wore a simple frock of dull blue, the same color as her hair. Her hands and feet looked weathered and broken, with blisters and bruises trailing all up and down her limbs. Her lips were chapped from the cold. Her eyebrows here arched and severe.

She was a ghost.

Hina was frightening to behold, like a wraith in the bitter winter wind.

"To..." Botan tried to speak again, clearing her throat and looking away in hesitation, "To speak with you. I'm sorry if we're bothering you, but... this is a rather urgent matter."

For a moment Hina said nothing. When Koenma thought she would not vocally acknowledge their presence, Hina finally began to speak, her tone chilling and deadly.

"Everything is urgent to the living..." Hina hissed, narrowing her red eyes. Koenma sighed. It was as he feared. Hina was dark like her son, it seemed. But was it thru personality, or was it thru trauma? Was she originally like Yukina before this entire horrible affair had begun?

"Um..." Botan bit her lip, looking over her shoulder tensely, "Koenma?" She urged.

Koenma stepped down onto the balcony, squaring with the ghostly woman, "Hina, my name is Lord Koenma. I am the son of King Enma, and I preside over the passing of the living and the dead. It was I who granted you your stay here when you committed suicide, so that your soul could be at peace instead of wandering without a home. Don't feel obliged to thank me, its company policy."

At this, Hina blinked, unimpressed. Koenma coughed irritably, pushing on before lost his nerve.

"In life you were a koorime healer, correct?" Koenma offered again.

"I was many things." Hina challenged, revealing nothing.

"But a healer, yes." Koenma urged more.

"Yes." Hina finally admitted.

"Hina, I have need of a healer with skills like yours." Koenma explained.

"Look elsewhere." Hina murmured, lowering herself back down into her chair, picking up her dombra with a slight clatter and resuming her plucking. It was in the chord of C minor, and it's notes made Koenma feel hopeless, as if there were no joy left in the world. He shook off the feeling, pushing on.

"You haven't heard my offer." Koenma began.

"You cannot offer to the dead." Hina dismissed once gain, perfectly content to ignore them both. Koenma knew he was running out of time to persuade Hina to join the team. There was no more time for dawdling. He had to make his deal, and sleep in the bed he rumpled.

"What if you weren't dead?" Koenma spoke up over the dombra. Hina paused in her playing.

"I have no time to ponder on the 'what if's of life." Hina dismissed once again, resuming her playing (albeit quieter).

"But you do non the less... You ponder quite a lot!" Koenma knew he was being brash, but his impatient nature was getting the best of him. He was used to getting what he wanted when he wanted it. By god, this woman was wearing his nerves thin!

It seemed Hina had the same opinion of him, for she slammed her dombra down with such force that its thin wood cracked in a few places. Koenma jumped, alarmed as Hina rose up with a jolt of speed, whirling back around like a vortex and glaring at him with hellish eyes.

"You dishonor me by disturbing my solitude to play games!" Hina snarled, baring yellowing teeth. Koenma swallowed thickly, loosing his tongue in the process. He was saved however, by Botan.

"Er...Hina... My name is Botan. I'm one of Koenma's grim reapers. It's my job to ferry souls across the River Stix." Hina blinked at this, taken aback, "Lord Koenma means no disrespect and neither do I! On the contrary we want to help you." Botan explained in a rush.

"If you want to help me, leave me in peace. Let the dead keep the dead." Hina finally answered, her lip curling with slight distaste. Botan was not deterred, and Koenma was grateful for Botan's sense of hope, even in this tender moment.

"But Hina, what about life? Surely you want to live it? What about love and joy? Don't you want to protect that? What about your children-?" Botan clapped a hand over her loose mouth, her bright eyes lit in terror.

"Careful Botan!" Koenma hissed under his breath. Yet it was too late, for Hina's normally dull eyes were suddenly full of an icy anger.

"I..." Botan blubbered, frightened, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have spoken so quickly. But... It just hurts me to see your children the way they are. As their mother, surely-"

Hina cut her off, raising her hand to silence her. It was clear that every word Botan spoke had been cutting into Hina like a hot knife.

"I only have one child." Hina hissed, her voice staccato and final, "And that... is none of your business."

"But... I thought... You have twins, surely!" Botan looked agog. Koenma could not blame her. Had they gotten the wrong Hina? Instantly, Koenma began to rethink his actions, wondering if there was any way they could pull out before this unhappy wraith could skewer them alive.

"Had." Hina corrected coldly, "Only one... survived." She spoke the word through a clench throat, and at once Koenma let out a sigh of relief. They hadn't made a mistake, they'd merely been misunderstood.

"But see, that's where you're misinformed!" Botan broke out, her bubbly nature getting the better of her, "You see-"

"No, that is where _you _are misinformed!" The angry Hina was back again, as swift as a swooping vulture. Her entire bony body began to glow with a brilliant icy light that sent cold blasts all up and down the balcony walls, icing over the dulled brick and making them freezing to the touch. Koenma inwardly noted to take a steaming hot shower when all this was over. "How dare you speak of my children to me!" Hina was growing angrier by the minute. It was clear they had overstepped their boundaries, "You think that cruelty like this will go unpunished? Shall I show you why my people feared me? Why they murdered my son?" At this, Hina seemed to break in her self control. Her ki spiked with such force that both the dobra and the chair burst into a thousand icy splinters, scattering at their feet and skittering off the balcony to fall like rain onto the forrest canopy below. Botan made a frightened noise and backed away hastily.

"Hina, stop!" Koenma ordered, fearing for Botan's safety.

"B-but they didn't slay your son! He lived!" Botan begged, her voice higher than normal, "He lived!"

"...What...?" Hina's face wore a shocked, blank expression. Her mouth had fallen open. She gaped at Botan, her entire demeanor changing with the news out in the open. Where before she had been cold and frightening, suddenly she was changing before their very eyes into someone more understandable. A worried mother who had lived too long without her children. Koenma could see the pain and the longing in her gaze as she stared hungrily at Botan, begging for more information.

"He lived! Hiei lived!" Botan blabbered, unable to stop herself. Hina clutched at her throat with one hand, backing up slightly and clutching at the rail of the balcony to support herself as if she were weak in the knees. Her eyes darted back and forth as she wetted her lips nervously.

"...hiei..." she whispered to herself, closing her eyes and saying the name aloud.

"The name feels strange, I'm sure." Koenma stepped up, giving Botan a moment to regain her composure, "You haven't heard it in a long time, I'm sure."

"On the contrary." Hina murmured, "I hear it every hour of every day. You have my attention... Koenma." She stood up once more, her eyes locking onto his own. Koenma inwardly cheered. Yes! This was the moment they'd worked for!

"Your son and your daughter both are known to me. Hiei is part of a team of fighters underneath my command. four upstanding, hardworking, pain in the asses that have been saving the living world since they were under my employment. I'm sure you've heard of the Dark Tournament." Koenma explained evenly, his hands clasped behind his back in his usual business manor. He would have to play his cards just right if he wanted Hina to go along. Hina listened with rapt attention.

"Hanging Neck Island." Hina thought aloud.

"I see you remember it?" Koenma asked.

"How could I forget. When I was alive, I journeyed to the tournament to heal teams out of charity for my countries honor. That's how I met..." Hina's voice trailed off. She looked up into the starry sky, as if hoping the rest of the words would fall down to her, and make this moment more bearable. Koenma thought he knew who she was speaking of.

"Yukina and Hiei's father." Koenma offered.

"Yes." Hina nodded.

"Your daughter is currently a healer for our team, but she will need more help if my team, and your son, want any hope of survival. This game is meant to hurt. As I'm sure you already know." Koenma explained further.

"I can't." Hina shook her head, "I'm dead."

"But I can remedy that." Koenma assured.

"How?"

"I can return you to life. Only if you agree to help me heal my team." Koenma put up a finger in warning.

"...I..." Hina did not know what to say, her face riddled in anguish and confusion.

"Think of Hiei..." Botan offered up, ever the one in touch with emotion, "Without your help and support, he'll be all alone. He'll hurt."

"If I return to life, I return to pain, to death." Hina thought aloud.

"You can't get something for nothing, Hina. But surely, your children's safety would be worth another death?" Koenma asked. Was this the same mother who had committed suicide over the death of her son? Wouldn't she feel compelled to love him just as deeply in life?

"Would it." Hina sighed, shaking her head, "They have each other. They don't need their non existent mother."

"But they don't." Koenma shook his head sadly. Hina raised an eyebrow, confused.

"But I thought you said-?"

"Hiei and Yukina may be near one another, but they do not know that they are twins. Hiei is aware, but because of his past hides the truth from Yukina out of fear that she will reject him as her brother. They both live in misery... But, as you say, they're healthy. So why should you step in. We're sorry to have bothered you. " Koenma shrugged his shoulders, inwardly chanting a prayer for success. He turned away, pulling Botan after him as he went. The bubble grim reaper followed, shocked.

"Koenma sir, what-?" Botan demanded.

"Just wait." Koenma hissed as they crossed the threshold into the sparse bedroom, "Walk a little slower."

And so they did, taking their time as the pair of them walked alongside one another, waiting with baited breath.

"But... But what about-"

"Shh, shh, shh." Koenma shook his head, "Wait for it."

And just as they reached the door- "Koenma!"

Koenma couldn't help himself. He did an inward dance of victory, turning around.

"Yes?" Koenma asked. Hina had joined them in the room, abandoning the balcony. Her face was full of determination and stubborn pride.

"You are certain they will need my help?"

"Yes."

"You are certain they are hurting without one another?" Hina demanded.

"It's painful to watch." Botan admitted glumly.

Hina looked down at the floor, then back at them, pursing her lips into a thin white line, "Then I will do it. For my children."

Koenma broke into a dark grin, gripping his hands knuckle white as he shook with pride. He had accomplished the impossible. Oh he could already see the looks of the teams faces.

"Then there isn't a moment to loose." Koenma grinned slyly.

What felt like a few short moments later, Koenma, Hina, and Botan stood side by side in Koenma's office, staring apprehensively down at a glowing blue ball cradled tenderly in Koenma's hands. Like the case of Yusuke Urameshi, Koenma was prepared with the soul necessary to bring Hina back to life. He only prayed that it would work smoothly and without error. It was, after all, now early in the morning and he hadn't slept at all. He wondered if he was in the right state of mind to attempt this sort of thing. No time to question himself now. There was work to be done.

"Just relax, Hina." Botan assured sweetly, "It'll all be over in a minute. Is there anything that you need? A glass of water perhaps? Anything you want from your room?"

"My picture." Hina spoke horsely, clearly worried. Botan had come prepared, offering Hina the picture with pride from her own bosom.

"Here you go!" Botan grinned from ear to ear.

"Thank you." Hina fidgeted nervously, smoothing back her thinning and greying hair with nervous fingers that trembled lightly at the tips.

"Just take deep breathes thru your nose. It'll all be over in a pinch." Botan assured.

"And then I'll be alive." Hina clutched her picture tight to her chest.

"Bingo!" Botan laughed, using her catchphrase perhaps in a prayer to relieve some of the tension. Koenma would be lying if he said he didn't appreciate it. Suddenly, in Koenma's hands, the glowing sphere pulsed rapidly, gather it's own heartbeat from the ki that Koenma fed it.

"Are you ready, Hina?" Koenma warned. Hina nodded her head roughly, unwilling to speak.

"I should warn you, once this soul implant is done, it cannot be reversed. You will be alive again, for better or for worse. Pain, grief, fear, panic... all of it will return with your soul." Koenma explained. Hina squared herself.

"I do not fear death." Hina grumbled, as if it were a foolish thing to do.

"Okay then. Here we go." Botan backed up hastily, shutting off the lights with the flick of the switch. The blue egg became the light source of the room, so that it illuminated everything with ease. It gave one final pulse of life in Koenma's hands before rising up slowly on it's own like a mystical snowflake in reverse. It gathered it's energy, swirling in a beautiful mist of light blue and brightest white as it floated directly over Hina. Hina waited with baited breath, nervous and on edge. If she had a heart beat at the moment, it would be hammering.

Without further ado, the soul lowered itself into Hina's breast, vanishing thru her skin as if it had merely been smoke. But Hina felt the change at once, hot, pulsing, and wonderful! The entire shift cause her head to spin, and she wondered if she was going to be ill. She clutched her head, feeling for the first time in nearly five hundred years, her own heartbeat. It began with an achingly slow thud as memories rushed thru her brain like colored film in and out of her ears. She was certain there would be spinning in the bright red orbs of her eyes. The entire ordeal spiraled upwards and outwards, flaring her ki to life and sparking the flame inside of her she'd felt since birth. Since the downfall of her son.

The feeling inside of her was tremendous, unable to be expressed in words! She heard every noise that life held, the swaying of the wind, the crash of the ocean waves, the glee of the birds. She heard it all and a million other noises as her brain filled with images of the life she'd once had. She saw _him. _Saw _him _in all his glory, the way he'd been before... before... before-

She gagged in a breath, choking on her own oxygen as, for the first time in what felt like a thousand years, she became a living creature once again. Koenma had been right, the terror, the pain, the fear, everything that life held... she felt it all. But she also felt joy. Undiluted joy. She saw her children in her minds eye, saw them both in need of her...

And she knew what must be done.


	3. Cold Showers

The second that Hina came down from her spiritual high, she could hardly stand still. Botan all but tailed behind her in Koenma's quarters, constantly trying to get a hold on the back of her obi knot as Hina frantically paced back and forth. Koenma kept a steady eye on her, his normally peaceful expression one of suspicion and precaution. Botan could understand why. If King Enma found out about this, it would be worse than spankings. It could be disownment. It could be even worse for Botan or Hina. Death, perhaps.

Then again, Hina had just come back from death. Perhaps she wouldn't mind.

"You'll need plenty of rest!" Botan advised as Hina, flushed and furious, rubbed the back of her neck irritably.

"I feel so energized though!" Hina complained, "I can hardly stand still!"

"That's normal." Botan assured her, "In a couple of hours, you'll feel very tired, and you'll probably sleep for the rest of the day."

"But I need to go to my children!" Hina begged, "I need to be with them! To care for them!"

"Hold your horses, mommy dearest!" Botan finally managed to grab hold of Hina and halted her dead in her tracks, "What do you think they'd say if you came busting into their dojo without so much as a warning? Hmm?" Botan added, as Hina's expression changed from furious to fearful. In truth... Hina hadn't even crossed that point in her line of thinking yet.

"I.." Hina shifted uncomfortably, longing to move some more, "I hadn't thought of it."

"Well please do." Botan grumbled, shaking her head, "Hiei will probably run till his little legs fall off, and then he'd kill whoever he met when he stopped. He'd probably burn a village down, knowing his personality!"

"My son would never do that!" Hina scoffed. "You make him sound like he's a murderer!"

Botan's face fell. Hina paused, sensing that an invisible line had been crossed without her knowledge. What exactly did they know that Hina didn't. She looked from Koenma to Botan, both of whom were biting their lips and looking frightened of something. Botan raised her hands up as if to say _'What do we do?' _to which Koenma gave her a startled look _'The hell if I know!' _

"What?" Hina demanded.

"Hina..." Botan looked down at the floor, as if too ashamed to look at Hina's face. "There's something you should know. Something you should see."

"Well what?" Hina demanded, growing more agitated.

"It's about Hiei..." Botan was wringing her hands now. Hina wanted to break her fingers, to know whatever it was that Botan refused to tell her, "I have a rather nasty surprise. Koenma?"

"Ah..." Koenma sighed, "I thought this might come up."

Hina felt a temple pulse angrily in her brain. Unable to help herself, she shouted aloud.

"Tell me before I rip out your throat!"

Koenma was on his feet at once, "Calm yourself Hina! Remember, now that you are living you are no longer underneath Spirit World's protection! Your consequences are yours and yours alone to bear!"

Hina cursed herself inwardly for her loose tongue and held her mouth quiet until she was certain she would not make an ass of herself again. After a moment or two, she spoke again.

"...What's wrong with my son." Hina kept her voice calm, but she inwardly was roaring.

"Nothing." Koenma started up, though at once he looked left and right as if sizing up his words. Koenma's eyes twitched, "Well-" Hina caught Botan giving Koenma a mutinous look, "I mean to say-"

"Koenma," Hina growled, five seconds shy of loosing her temper for the second time, "What is wrong with my son." she snapped thru gritted teeth. Koenma paled.

"Perhaps you should sit down." Koenma squeaked. Without further ado Hina took a seat across from his desk, jiggling her foot irritably.

"Well." Hina demanded as soon as she'd sat.

Koenma took a deep breath. With a nod from Botan, Koenma ducked down under his desk for a second and returned with a black tape in tow. He looked very nervous.

"This tape." Koenma waved it lightly, "It may show you things that you'd rather not see."

Hina rolled her eyes. "Show me, or I will pull out your teeth." Hina growled.

"Violent aren't you." Koenma raised his eyebrows. Hina picked at her fingernails, unimpressed.

"Some might say." She wavered fairly. She could have sworn she heard Koenma muttered, "Well now we know where Hiei gets it from" under his breath.

He leapt off his stool and pattered across the cool tiled floor, pushing the video into the tape slot of an enormous glassy television. For a moment there was fuzz, as Hina waited on hook and nail to see what the television would say. She noticed Koenma and Botan swap a worried glance as the tape began to play, and a low melodic voice filled the room. It sounded shockingly like Yukiei's, but Hina knew better. The 'm's were darker. The 's's were softer... Hina's jaw dropped as she realized for the first time in her life, she was listening to the voice of Hiei. The voice of her son.

The video had been short but to the point. Hina had sat motionless in her chair, watching her son recount his entire childhood. There had been moments when she wanted to scream, moments when she'd been close to shedding tears. She'd seen her own screams flashed back to her. Watched as Rui had been forced to toss Hiei to his death. But then there had been bandits, cruel and cold. Then there had been murder and blood shed. She'd watched in horror as her son had taken in the Jagan. Bit her tongue till blood had been tasted in her mouth as her son had screamed and screamed, his agony tearing at her innards like a rusted knife into her gut. Never before had a scream tormented her as much.

Now Koenma and Botan were watching her expectantly as the tape ran clean and the screen went black. Koenma took the tape back, his eyes locked on Hina's blank stare as he put the tape back and waited for her to speak. Botan coughed nervously, chewing on her lip as her eyes flashed from Hina to the blank screen.

When Koenma realized Hina wasn't going to speak, he grumbled under his breath, chewing fast on his pacifier. He fidgeted with a large remote control, pressing a few buttons so that a beautiful blue holograph bloomed in front of Hina like a flower, spiraling up and down in a strange light pattern. A man came into focus, slightly shorter than a normal man, yet strong and well built. Clad in only a dirty black cloak and a white scarf that was wrapped multiple times around his muscled neck, the man's hair was jet black with a clean white starburst. A small white bandana concealed his forehead, and bright ruby red eyes glared thru perfectly shaped lemon eyes. A small mouth and petite nose, well formed cheek bones, and a gentle curve to his back... this man was clearly a swordsman.

"Here's an image of Hiei. A holograph of what he looks like now." Koenma explained. When Hina still didn't speak, Koenma carried on with disappointment in his voice, "I know what you're seeing isn't what you might have been expecting. You uh..." Koenma paused as Hina rose from her chair, stepping forward so as to get a better look at the man who was her son, "You wouldn't believe what we've had to go thru to get him in this good of shape... I know he's not much-"

"Shuttup." Hina snapped angrily, so that Koenma fell silent, "...He's perfect." Hina whispered, her hand reaching out to gently touch the holograms cheek. Koenma smiled, understanding the look of longing in Hina's eyes. The look she held was one of deepest yearning, as if she could stare at the hologram all day and be content with whatever life held. The pining was clear all over her face; it was almost painful to watch.

"My son..." Hina caressed the holograms cheek so that the conjoined light scattered slightly only to reform again, "The world has been cruel to you. But look how you've grown none the less. Such a proud young man... Such a kind young man. It's only fitting you wield a sword like your father did. And your grandfather before him... yes, I am very proud of you. There is no shame in my eyes. You spilt blood to keep life... not to take life." Hina nodded to herself at this, bursting with pride. She shot Koenma a rude look, "Well? Is this all you wanted to show me?"

"Well, I thought you might need to know-" Koenma tried to defend, but Hina was quick to rise like a raptor protecting her young.

"Know what? I saw nothing of great importance. So my son has sleighed men. Who am I to judge? I killed my fair share of demons you know, and his father was practically a legend for his sword wielding. Why I think my late husband would be proud of our son if he were to see this tape. What, do you think it shameful? Do you?"Hina demanded, hands on her hips and fire in her eyes. Koenma stuttered at this, looking at Botan for help. But Botan shrugged her shoulders as if to say _'you got yourself into this.' _.

"Well... It's nothing to be proud of, but-" Koenma tried, yet Hina reared up again.

"Nothing to be proud of! My son has lived a life of glory and honor. And what have you done but stamp papers." At this, Hina made a noise, "My son is a true man of his word. That's the greatest gift he could ever give me. A gentleman in the wilderness."

Koenma gritted his teeth. He could understand the love of a mother, but now Hina was beginning to cross a line. Did she so easily forget that Koenma was the reason that she was alive? That she was getting a second chance with her family?

"Well, I'm glad to know you think so." Koenma shuffled a few papers, brooding, "And for the record, Hina. I am not just a stamper of papers. I am a prince of a realm, and... a man of my word. As such, I plan on holding up my promise to you. So, shall we get you to your chariot?"

At once, Hina's look of rage turned into one of confusion. "Chariot?" She asked, shaking her head slightly.

"I'm only joking." Koenma waved an idle hand, "First you need to get cleaned up. Botan will help you take care of that. You leave tomorrow at the strike of noon." Botan stepped up, taking Hina easily by the elbow. Hina, however, wasn't going without a fight.

"Can't we go sooner?" Hina demanded.

"Hina," Koenma sighed irritably, "I have to inform the team you're arriving and give them time to prepare! Don't you want Hiei and Yukina to be ready for your arrival?"

Hina sighed, bowing her head, "Well... I suppose you're right."

"Come on, Hina!" Botan pulled her away, her voice back to it's originally bubbly state, " I'll take you to the bath house."

"I'll message Genkai while you prepare Hina." Koenma ordered. Botan bowed them both out of his presence.

"Yes sir." Botan bowed, "This way Hina." They left Koenma's office, taking an immediate right and following a long corridor full of doors and branching hallways. Hina hardly followed their movements, her mind still racing with the contents of the video. Had Hiei been in intense pain when the Jagan had been implanted? Had that surgeon even used sterile equipment? What if it was an infected wound? What if he had a fever? What if- Hina shook her head rapidly. Was this what it meant to be a mother? In a constant state of panic and worry?

Botan had taken them down a smaller hallway, where a few women mingled by doorways, tying ribbons in their hair or pulling off their inside shoes. Hina realized they'd entered a more intimate part of the Spirit World Temple, and kept her hands to herself as Botan guided them past a few women wrapping their hair in towels to reveal a door. She opened it, and steamed poured out. Hina coughed, waving her hand in front of her face. They'd entered a large and lavish bath house, full of women and tubs where they bathed with fresh smelling salts and sweet soaps. Hina felt out of place in her rags, with her gnawed hair and her sunken face. She could stand for a bath. What would her children think if they saw her looking a fright? They'd die of shock. _'Here's your mother, the zombie! Go hug her, kids! What's a matter? Why are you crying? STOP CRYING, YOU'LL MAKE THE ZOMBIE UPSET!' _

"Here!" Botan snapped Hina out of her train of absurd thought by opening up a small locker of the side of the bath house, helping Hina out of her rags and putting them away. She felt strangely embarrassed in front of Botan. Botan, who was much younger than Hina and much more beautiful. "You'll need to wash, and a change of clothes. Why, I think I can find the clothes you wore before-" Botan halted in her tracks, her face falling. Hina knew what Botan had meant to say, and was understanding. Yes, it might be nice to wear the clothes she'd worn in her previous life. After all, those were the clothes she'd made by her own hands. The clothes she'd stitched from her mother's sewing patterns. Botan shuffled her over to a spare tub, helping Hina to sink into scalding hot water which foamed with soaps that smelt of jasmine and lavender. Botan shrugged her shoulders, "What do you say?"

"I suppose." Hina kept her arms across her chest, hoping to keep her decency. "Could you see if you could find my red ribbon?" Hina asked, hopefully. The ribbon meant more to her than any other possession.

"How could I not?" Botan waved her offer with a happy smile, "Your daughter, Yukina, wears one just like it!"

Hina couldn't help but grin at that.

Botan made her leave, scooting thru the crowds of bathing women to hurry away, hopefully with Hina's change of clothes. Hina shivered in the steaming water, hating the unbearable heat. When Yukiei had been alive, he'd embraced Hina in his fire. Yet there had never been heat, at least not like the heat she was experiencing now. Desperate to get clean, Hina tried to splash some of the soaps and water onto her soiled skin. But the water was simply too hot to truly work with. Unable to resist, Hina tried out her powers for the first time since she'd committed suicide, relieved when the water cooled considerably. Now she could begin to bath, scrubbing away all the dirt, blood, and dead skin. She thought as she bathed, her mind immersed in swirling thoughts.

_Ice... I recall it easily. Frozen Ice. _

"_You've killed my son!" _

_I recall every inch of it, like some horrible waking nightmare. _

"_You've killed him! Murdered him!" _

"_Hina! Come back here at once! Hina!" _

_The depth. The plunge. I recall it all... And I wish I could forget it. I truly wish I could. _

"_You've killed my son!" _

"_Hina, stop! Hina! HINA NOOOOO!" _

_It was then that I plummeted. _

_What did I think about when I dropped? I thought of you. Of how you felt, newly born, in my hands. The pair of you. So innocent and tender. Perfectly molded. You were covered in blood, sticky and sweaty from your struggle. You hadn't even opened your eyes yet. The pair of you entangled your limbs, trying to find the solace you'd held in my womb. But wrapped in my arms, you found warmth. Oh Hiei... you were so sweet to your sister. Your little fires entombed us both, neither scalding us nor burning us... Just... warming us. Oh Yukina. When you opened your eyes for the first time, you beheld your brother with such ease. You loved him tenderly, as did I. My sweet daughter. So perfect. _

_And who was that in the door? _

"_...Hina..." _

"_Yukiei... Look..." _

_Who was that, wrapping his arms around my son, lifting him up high so that his entire infant body was exposed to the air, kissing it with flame. I recall so easily how you burst out into noisy tears, wanting to be held and cuddled. Your fathers fire encased you, showing you the warmth... I remember it so well... The rushing emotion... _

"_My son. I have a son." The fire entombed you both, as Yukiei held you tight. You little legs scrunched up as they connected with your fathers tunic. Your sex pressed tight to his chest as your tiny fists gripped his ruffled collar. Your head jiggled on his shoulder. He kissed your black crested head, so that you could tuck your head under his chin. You were truly content in your fathers arms. _

"_He needs a name." I spoke from my bloodied futon mat. _

"_... Hiei. Son of Yukiei... The flitting shadow. The darkness flame." _

When Botan returned from her venture, she felt rather proud of herself. It took quite a search to look thru the clothes of the dead, to find each garment of clothing and jewelry in boxes of thousands. But Botan was grim reaper, and she took her job seriously. Now with Hina's clothes in tow, she re entered the bath quarters. A few women were looking on in curiosity and Botan could not blame them. For in the middle of the tubs, where Botan had left Hina to wash, was a strange icy loom. Frost crept up from the sides of the tub, and the normally hot surface was... ice. A block of frozen ice. Botan gaped, rushing forward in fear as she looked down to see Hina far underneath, her hair swirling about her in a frozen glow.

"What do we do?" A woman spoke up, her white hair laying in wet curls across her face. Botan jiggled, terrified.

"I don't know!" Botan cried out, unable to figure out who to turn to first. Was Hina drowning? Was she trapped?

But the answer came before Botan's brain could formulate an even wilder idea. Without further ado the ice encasing the tub's surface cracked into a thousand shards, bursting apart in a frosty blow. Botan made a noise, leaping back and keeping her face covered. Hina rose up from the bath, her body flawlessly white and cold. Her skin no longer slaggy and dirty, Hina seemed more youthful and wild. She turned around, her snow green hair long and untangled, reaching down to her waist in long straight blooms.

"You do nothing." Hina cracked a smile at Botan's fear, "That is how we bathe in my country."

"Um..." Botan was meek, blushing as she looked away from Hina's nakedness, "Here's your clothes!"

Hina stepped out from the tub, drying herself easily with her newfound ki. She took the clothes, wrapping them as she remembered. Left over right, obi is tight, these were the rhymes of childhood when she was happily in love with her home country and safe from the outside world. She beheld herself, looking down at the figure she'd known since day one. Her kimono was one of classic tradition, with gentle blue and crisp white. Her obi however, was different than that of other women, because when Hina had married her obi had become red. The traditional for a married woman.

"I cleaned them as best as I could." Botan offered, slightly disappointed, "But the blood was slightly hard to get out. I'm so sorry." Hina caught her glimpse and noticed that around her midriff the kimono was slightly darker. Ah, yes. When she'd fallen, she'd died undoubtably from the impact.

"I like it." Hina assured her, "Let them know that I bled for my children. It makes me feel strong."

"Here's your ribbon!" Botan offered, her playful voice back, "And your hiroseke from your mother." She handed them both to Hina, which Hina gratefully accepted. Her mother's hiroseke, a dark blue, shined wearily in the twinkling lights of the bath house. Hina held it up to eye sight, grimacing as she slipped it over her head.

"Mother..." Hina murmured, "What would you think of your wild daughter now?"

"Shall I help you with your ribbon?" Botan offered, pulling back Hina's hair and straightening it into a soft pony tail. Without warning, Hina ripped away, her eyes wide.

"No!" She begged. Botan gaped, taken by surprise, "Please..." Hina held up her ribbon, "It's not a fashion statement. It's- well... Look." Hina shook the ribbon just as Yukiei had instructed her so long ago, and out popped several little blades that dangled merrily. Botan's mouth dropped.

"Oh..." Botan was very impressed, "It's a weapon?"

"It was given to me by my late husband as a wedding gift. To keep me safe in times of danger. Danger was no stranger to our family." Hina explained, tying the ribbon in her hair, taking care not to cut herself with the hidden blades. She was done. She looked herself up and down on a wall mirror that was wrapped in steam. Wiping the condensation away, Hina beheld herself, straightening her obi when she noticed it was slightly crooked. Botan sighed, a happy smile upon her cheerful face.

"You look wonderful." Botan nodded, pleased with what she saw.

Hina turned away from the mirror, striding out of the bath house. Her mind was fixed on the near future when she and her children would be re united. She had a promise to keep to Koenma, and a team to heal. At once, her well trained brain was calculating all the herbs she would need, the crystals she would have to buy. Wait!

"I'll need my healing supplies." Hina explained, "Did you by chance find my bag? It would have practically everything I'd need!"

Botan shook her head sadly, "We only have what you fell with." At this, Hina frowned. _Damn! _she thought. _Without that bag, healing will be back to the basics until I can find a market. But I don't even have a lick of money. I could always sell a hiroseke, but that's so vulgar. Yukiei would roll in his grave if he could see me now, scrounging for money. If they only have what I fell with... then... _

"Then you would have the baby blankets." Hina exclaimed. "I fell with them!"

"Yes." Botan shifted uncomfortably, still clutching two pale and dirty sheaves of wool in her arms, "But I thought you wouldn't want-"

"Give them to me." Hina took them away, holding the pair of them up to the light. They were utterly filthy. They needed a good wash, a spring of holly for good luck, and certainly mending. "They'll need a lot of mending, but it's nothing I can't fix with time and thread." Hina thought aloud, "Then again, they'll need to be much bigger now. I doubt that this will cover two fully grown children."

Hina let the blankets down, coughing slightly. Her head had suddenly become slightly dizzy. She rubbed her forehead with the back of her hand, closing her eyes to block out the spots that were forming in her vision.

"You look pale!" Botan murmured, worried. She took Hina in her arms, checking her forehead with her own hand, "And your freezing!"

"I'm made of ice." Hina grumbled, "Though I do feel weak."

"I knew it!" Botan cried out, pulling Hina down the hallway by hand as Hina tripped and stumbled over her own feet. Why did they suddenly feel like they were tied to cement blocks? "Come lay down before you fall down."

"I shouldn't- I need to-" But Hina was beginning to crumple, unable to focus on making words in her mouth as her mind slowly succumbed to darkness. Damn Koenma, and his little soul implant. If only she had the energy, she would run to her children now. If only-

"Here's a couch." Botan had found them a spot out of the way it seemed, for Hina could not open her eyes to see, "Sit down for a minute!"

Hina tried to bend her knees to sit, but before she could complete the act, her legs gave out entirely and she crashed to the floor, blacking out cold. The last thing she heard was the noise of Botan crying out, "Hina!" before the darkness swallowed her whole... dragging her down... down... Down.

_**A hallway. A long hallway. **_

"_**I found a whole stack of these damn letters, Hina!" Yukiei held them up to the light in their home, his whole frame shaking with rage, "Jesus will they ever leave us alone anymore?" **_

_**Hina walked down the hallway, her eyes locked on Yukiei. Something wasn't right. Something wasn't real. She shivered, reaching out to touch Yukiei, but her hand falling short. **_

"_**... Are you real?" She whispered, fearful of the answer. **_

"_**No." Yukiei sighed, the letters in his hands gone from sight. He looked down at the floor, looking back up at Hina with that small smile Hina had fallen in love with, "...He's coming." **_

_**Hina had no idea of whom Yukiei spoke, "Who?" **_

"_**Gonzo Tarukane." Yukiei murmured the name. It flashed thru Hina's brain. Something about that name... she should remember something about that name! **_

_**But Yukiei was turning, walking away from the hallway of their home to step into another world entirely. A world of deep hues as the sun fell down over the lake of Hanging Neck Island. **_

"_**Remember when we stayed in the hotel on Hanging Neck Island... We were so happy..." Yukiei sighed at the thought. He cast a look over his shoulder, locking eyes with Hina. "He's coming. You can't let them die." **_

"_**I... I won't let them die..." Hina assured him, coming up from behind and wrapping her arms around her husband. Oh... the pleasure and the pain. She laid her head on his shoulder, unable to forget the smell of his shampoo, or the way his hair fell as light as feather as the nape of his neck. "I love you so much." **_

"_**I'm crazy." Yukiei crumpled, tears spilling down his unshaven face, his whole appearance now disheveled. She remembered this face. This was the last time she'd seen her husband. Before... before... "I know it. I know I'm crazy. I can't escape." **_

"_**No..." Hina soothed into his shoulder, kissing him tenderly on the cheek, "No it isn't true." **_

"_**I am." Yukiei hiccuped thru the tears, looking out on the world with frightened and weary eyes of dull red. His black hair fell lanky and unkempt all over his face. He was dripping in... in blood! Hina's eyes widened fearfully as she looked down to where their hand were wrapped one on top of the other. Blood was coming out! She held Yukiei even tighter, knowing that their time must be coming to an end. **_

"_**You have to wake up." Yukiei sobbed. **_

"_**I won't go!" Hina moaned, "You're here!" **_

"_**I'm not." Yukiei whispered, tears of blood spilling from his eyes. **_

"_**I have to go." Yukiei sighed. **_

"_**No! No!" Hina begged, holding him tighter and tighter. "No please, hang on just a little bit longer!" **_

"_**Oh god!" Yukiei cried out in pain, his eyes screwed up from the agony, "You have to let me go!" **_

"_**I..." Hina now wept bitterly, hirosekes bouncing around on the floor which was now soaked in blood, "I can't..." **_

_**But the decision was made for her. For even as she begged and clung, Yukiei was slowly crumbling into ash. Hina clung to him desperately as he slowly tumbled down to the ground, a smoldering lump of dark embers. Hina burst into hysterical tears, falling to her knees and grabbing every bit of the ash she could, holding it to her breast as she screamed and screamed and screamed and SCREAMED AND- **_

Hina awoke with a start, wrapped in gentle blankets and laying on a love couch. All the blankets were frosted with snow from her outburst of ki, and fresh hirosekes covered the bed. Hina wiped her face at once, shivering from the terror of her nightmare.

"...Yukiei..." Hina whispered. Was it wrong of her to wish to be dreaming again, if only to feel Yukiei close to her once more? It had all felt so real. She'd seen it, she'd felt him... it had all seemed so damn _real. _"Oh Yukiei... Are you in these halls too?" Hina talked aloud to herself, "Are you somewhere far away? Don't tell me you're burning in the pits of hell, my love. God knows you don't belong there."

Hina was barely given time to compose herself with a gentle rap came to the door of her barren chamber. Gathering her hirosekes as best she could, Hina mumbled a quick "come in!" and a woman walked thru the door. She was a chambermaid, clearly, in clean pressed kimono's with little detail and wooden shoes clad in white toe socks. With maiden gave her a helpful smile, bearing a silver tray laden with food and a steaming hand towel.

"Miss Hina?" She addressed. Hina shook her head.

"Mrs." She corrected. She was, after all, still married. She decided on the spot she would never re marry.. that she would remain Yukiei's till the day she died. Again.

"Mrs. Hina, I've brought breakfast for you, and a fresh towel for your face. You must be hungry." The chambermaid offered, setting the tray down on a small coffee table in front of Hina's couch.

"Yes, I suppose I am." Hina murmured. She hadn't needed to eat since she'd died. Now that she was alive again, that meant she'd be getting hungry, not to mention other more unpleasant things. Would she continue to bear children like she'd done before her death? Would her womanly cycle be present within her once more? Hina grimaced at the thought, eating as quickly as she could.

"Lord Koenma sent me to inform you that you leave in two hours time. It's ten o clock!" The chambermaid gave her a friendly smile. Hina's heart leapt to her throat, and she held down her breakfast as she resisted the urge to vomit. That was right... she was to leave at noon. That meant that by the time the day was over... she'd have her children near her once again. Suddenly, she was no longer hungry.

"Of course! Of course, we leave for the children!" Hina rose up at once, her breakfast falling from her lap onto the floor as she hastily wiped her face with the hot towel, she all but tripped on her way out the door. "Oh! Oh I can hardly stand it!"

"Mrs. Hina, you musn't overwork yourself!" The chambermaid cried out, trying to keep Hina from running out the door with both hands on one of Hina's elbows, "Please eat something!"

"Where's that Botan woman?" Hina demanded, "The one with the strange pink eyes?"

"Well that's hardly a way to introduce a friend." Botan grumbled, walking thru the door with such a care free air that Hina wanted to strangle her for not understanding the mere importance of today. Did she not comprehend? Was she _brain dead? _

"Botan!" Hina demanded, "Has Koenma informed the team? Well? Do they know?" Hina hardly gave her time to answer each question, "Are they excited? Are they scared? Oh tell me everything, Botan! I need to know!" Botan gaped at her, "Spit it out!"

"Calm down, Hina!" Botan urged, taking her by the hands and shaking her gently. Hina allowed her heart rate to slow, her mouth dry and her skin flushed. She needed answers and she needed them quickly. "Genkai was informed last night that you'd be arriving at noon. Don't worry, you're going to meet her first."

"Who?" Hina asked.

"Genkai. She's a very powerful martial artist whose trained our team for the tournament. Well, she's trained Yusuke and Kuwabara at least." Botan explained.

"Who and who?" Hina raised an eyebrow, confused.

Botan put a palm on her forehead, looking weary and amused. "Oh boy.." Botan made a whistling noise, "You better sit down."

And so Botan told Hina everything. Everything from Yusuke's unexpected death, to his reincarnation as a spirit detective. Then to Hiei and Kurama's joining of the team. To the Saint Beasts that the four had destroyed. And then to Yukina's capture, and her joining of the team as well. To the Dark Tournament and then to the terrible Sensui that had nearly destroyed the entire world. Finally to the three kings of the Makai, battling for dominance... and Yusuke's tournament that ended with a new and fair king. Now to the second Dark Tournament. Hina had listened with rapt attention, her eyes nearly bugged out of her skull at certain parts.

"I see..." Hina murmured, taking in each detail and memorizing it, "So this Yusuke boy is the leader?"

"I look at him as much, as does Koenma." Botan nodded her head merrily, "He's very brave."

"And Kurama is more or less the brains of the group." Hina chuckled.

"Not only wise... handsome too." Botan added with a strange smile on her face.

"Oh." Hina grinned, "I see." She smiled coyly.

"Oh hush up." Botan blushed furiously.

"So Kurama is the famous Yoko Kurama... Unbelievable." Hina shook her head in amazement, "A man I once saw in the clothes fit for a king... now in the company of my own son."

"You knew Kurama before he was killed?" Botan asked, curious.

"Oh yes." Hina nodded, "Not well, but we knew one another. Yoko Kurama was an opponent for power with my Yukiei. Yukiei was no where near as strong as Yoko Kurama at the time, but he certainly never let Kurama on to that. I remember the pair of them barking like dogs, always running up one another's trees.

"Well, Kurama, Yusuke, and Kuwabara are Hiei's teammates." Botan explained, "But there's something more." Botan added, slightly nervous.

"Yes?"

"Well, there's something you should know about Yukina too." Botan sighed. Hina cut across her in a rush.

"I don't want to hear any more about the supposed flaws of my children!" Hina barked.

"Oh no!" Botan shook her head so that pony tails whipped around, "Yukina's perfect! Not saying that's Hiei's not... _ehehehehehe..._" Botan gave a strange laugh, her nerves growing with Hina's glare, "It's just that Yukina is Kuwabara's girlfriend and Hiei hates Kuwabara. A lot."

Hina blanched at that. Yukina had a boyfriend? "I beg your pardon?" Hina demanded.

"Hiei and Kuwabara have never gotten on, and Kuwabara doesn't know that Yukina is Hiei's sister. Neither does Yukina!" Botan added sadly, "Kuwabara treats Yukina like a queen, but I know that it's a thorn in Hiei's side because I'm sure Hiei wants only the best for his sister and well... Kuwabara's a human. I guess Hiei doesn't approve."

Hina thought on that for a moment, her brow furrowed, "Is Kuwabara a man of his word?"

"Oh yes!" Botan exclaimed, "He sets a great deal of stock in honor, and a man's word, and things of that sort. Why once, he let three scoundrels nearly beat him half to death just to keep his promises to a friend!"

Hina nodded at that, rather impressed, "Sounds like a hard working man. Is he honest?"

"As a preacher on the pulpit." Botan even raised her hand in mock testimony, "But he's just not Hiei's type."

"How so?" Hina asked, "They sound very similar."

"Well." Botan had to think on that one, "Hiei is pessimistic and Kuwabara is optimistic." Botan offered. Hina shook her head.

"No, I fear you too judging." Hina disagreed, "Hiei is realistic. Not pessimistic."

"If you say so." Botan wasn't going to argue, "Oh Hina, won't you see what you can do?" Botan begged, clasping her hands in prayer. Hina shrugged her shoulders.

"I only have two hands, Botan. I'll try my best." Hina promised the ferry girl. They left together, allowing the chambermaid her privacy to clean up Hina's ruined breakfast. They returned to Koenma's quarters, taking their time as they discussed Hiei and Kuwabara's testy relationship.

"Ladies, the hour grows thin." Koenma ordered as the pair of them entered his sunny office, "It's time for our departure. Botan, take Hina at once by oar to Genkai's dojo... and remember. Sometimes the smartest remark is silence." Koenma waved his hand in dismissal. Hina's heart was in her throat, hammering. Botan was twirling her hands, so that from thin air a long and well polished oar came to life, floating off the ground and waiting for their boarding. Koenma stepped off his chair moving around his desk to open the latch on one of the large windows that allowed glorious golden sunlight in. Botan was helping Hina onto the oar, and Hina's legs were trembling.

It was time.

Botan leapt onto the oar, and Hina wrapped her arms around Botan's waist, slightly afraid of falling off. They were passing thru the window, but Hina called out to Koenma before they could sail off into the pink sky.

"Koenma." Hina called out. Koenma looked up, intrigued.

"Yes, Hina." Koenma addressed.

"Thank you." Hina bowed her heads.

"For what?" Koenma shrugged his shoulders.

"For a second chance." Hina admitted, slightly embarrassed at the emotion in her voice.

"Hina, this isn't a second chance for you." Koenma joked, "It's a backup plan for me."

"Spoiled brat." Hina grumbled, turning away as Botan took them high into the sky. Unbeknownst to both of them, Koenma watched them soar away, his heart heavy with worry.

"...God help you, Hina." Koenma murmured, "You and your children both."

What felt like only minutes later, Botan and Hina were soaring thru the sky, their kimono's fluttering in the wind as they passed over beautiful trees, mountains, valleys, and slopes.

"I'm sorry if it's so chilly up here!" Botan called out over the wind.

"It's quite refreshing to me!" Hina shouted back assuredly.

"There's the dojo below us!" Botan informed, pointing down at a beautiful massive dojo. that glittered in the sunlight below them.

"It's huge!" Hina shouted, "I haven't seen a dojo that large since... well.." Hina trailed off, remembering the dojo where Yukiei's team had trained for the tournament. It had been just like the one below them. Massive, and glorious.

"We're descending now!" Botan cried out, "Hang on tight!"

Hina clutched tight onto Botan's waist as they began to spiral lower and lower. Trees were growing larger, and the dojo was coming closer! Hina braced herself for impact, assured that they were going to crash! Yet just before they could plummet into the ground, Botan pulled up the tip of the oar, and they gently touched down. Hina's feet touched the grass, and she fell down onto her knees, nauseous.

"I think I'm going to be sick." Hina moaned. Botan was by her side at once, pressing a cool hand to the back of her neck.

"It's normal! I'm sorry if my driving made you queasy." Botan apologized.

"It's not you." Hina worried," It's... I don't know if I can... Oh Botan... This may be impossible. How will I ever...?"

"Don't go getting cold feet now!" Botan pulled her up, helping her to walk as they made their way to the temple. The oar disappeared into thin air. Hina wondered absent mindedly where it had gone off to. "It's as easy as one two three! One, let's get up these steps!" And so they marched forward. Hina's eyes were locked on the ground, afraid that if she glanced up she would panic and bolt. All day long she had been out of the barrel to get here as soon as possible. Now that she was here she wanted to run as fast as she could in the opposite direction. Run so fast that she would never have to be in this situation again. It felt like only seconds before they were at the top of the stairs, and two massive doors of dark red stood before them, waiting to be opened. "Two, we're going to open these doors and go inside!" And so the pair of them pushed open the huge doors, gaining enough room to slip inside. Hina's heart was hammering so fast now, she wondered if she was going to have a heart attack.

Inside, the grounds were well kept and green with fresh flowers and birds. A fountain sparkled in the middle, it's water twinkling merrily in the clear sky. Something about this place insisted peace would be found within. The dojo was laid out before them, it's wooden structure polished and protected with many scrolls and seals to keep out demons. Hina could not deny the awesome power that she felt here. The presence of this place was unlike anything she'd felt before.

Botan nudged Hina forward. Hina looked up for the first time, her eyes locking on two women who waited at the bottom of the stairs. One was an older woman, her pink hair in loose curls about her face and her eyes heavy lidded and wrinkled.

The other...

"...Yukina." Hina whispered, completely blown away.

Her daughter was a tall beauty. Perfect. Everything that Hina had imagined and more. Yukina's eyes were round and surprised. Her mouth was open in shock. She'd recognized Hina. She knew who Hina was.

"Mother?" Yukina managed to force out a squeak of a word, before her beautiful red eyes rolled back into her head, and she collapsed in a dead faint to the ground.

"YUKINA!"


	4. A River of Blood, A Lake of Charcoal

Thank you so much to all my reviewers and readers! I really appreciate all you comments, and will take all the advice, kindness, and critiques into consideration. I've noticed that a lot of my page breaks aren't showing up on the actual fanfiction website. how weird! I've decided, therefore, to put this phrase when there is a scene change or break: _**(scene break) **_Many thanks to all my reviewers, once again! In this chapter we'll be getting our first look at what Hiei's thinking . Also, Kurama! :D

_**(scene break)**_

It had taken both Genkai and Botan nearly an hour to calm Hina down after Yukina had passed out cold on the deck. She'd been moved into a cooler area of the temple where she could sleep and recover from the shock. Hina had followed her in, not caring a wit for the other two, and had not left her side since. Now Genkai and Botan sat in a study area near the entrance to Yukina's door, drinking sake and mulling the whole situation over. Truly, if there was ever a time for a drink it was now.

"When Koenma told me he had a new healer joining our team, it might have been a good idea to mention she was Yukina's mother." Genkai growled, sipping green tea as she glared daggers over her cup at Botan. Botan wasn't in the mood, sipping her own cup of sake as she drowned her misery in the alcohol. In her mind, it should have gone so well. Yukina should have run down the steps and embraced her mother, so happy that she might have cried. Now, the only one doing the crying was Hina and Botan could not blame her. Drat it all!

"Not just Yukina!" Botan moaned, "But Hiei's too! I can't believe he didn't say a thing! Are you sure he didn't mention it at all?"

Genkai raised a greying eyebrow, "Believe me, Botan. I would have remembered a detail like that."

Botan nodded her head.

"What do we do now?" Botan worried, "The whole first meeting is shot."

"Not yet." Genkai gave Botan a gentle smile, "Yukina is a smart girl. She's not the child many people think her to be. I have a feeling when she wakes up, she'll be able to handle the situation with grace."

"Here's for hoping." Botan drank her sake, hoping it might drown her sorrow. While the pair of them chatted and prayed, only feet away in a darkened room Hina was deep in prayer herself. Never before had Hina cared so tenderly for a patient, wiping the perspiration from Yukina's brow with delicate swipes and placing ice upon her flushed lips in hopes to coax down her fever.

"Oh Yukina.." Hina sniffed heavily, wiping the tears away from her bleary eyes as she wrung out the cold cloth in a pot of clear water and applied it fresh to her daughters forehead, "Sweet Yukina. Precious Yukina. I'm so sorry... I didn't think. I didn't even think." Dammit it all! Hina realized now what a shock it must have been for her poor daughter, "Poor angel." She petted Yukina's head gently "Oh please wake up. Please wake up. I..." Hina's voice trailed away. She looked up at ceiling, tears forming in her eyes. She wiped them away hastily. Now was not the time to cry. She needed to be there for her daughter, " I need to be with you, Yukina." Hina's voice broke, "I need to be your mother. Please... please don't leave me."

_**(scene break)**_

"There's another issue at hand." Genkai refilled her empty cup of green tea. Botan had long since given up the sake, trying to nurse her hangover with a generous cup of cold raspberry tea that Genkai had offered her. "A large one."

"I think I know it." Botan groaned, nursing her head.

"Now that Hina is alive and returned to her daughter and son... They need to be aware that they are siblings."

"I knew it." Botan nodded, halting when the pressure in her head mounted from the movement, "What do we do?"

At this, Genkai took a deep long breath, "Hiei is a proud man. An honorable one, but a proud one. I have a feeling that he's not going to be ecstatic when we sees the woman he's sought after all his life just walk down my dojo steps without so much as a warning. We need a plan, and an ace in the hole if the first plane fails."

The pair of them sat in morbid silence, thinking the whole horrid affair over. Then, in unison, the pair of them spoke aloud.

"Kurama."

_**(scene break)**_

Many towns away, a crimson haired young man was hard at work on his math homework. Well, in all fairness it was rather easy. He was actually hard at work on a few Makai seeds that were just beginning to bloom. Using his large ki, Kurama kept them well nourished and blooming. They would come in great use for the upcoming Dark Tournament. Outside his window a black clad figure was relaxing happily on a large and blooming tree. Kurama caught Hiei's eyes and gave him a friendly smile. Hiei gave one back.

Ever since Hiei had begun to work with Mukuro, Kurama had noticed an intriguing change in his old friend. His sour mood had improved immensely, and his sarcastic nature had lessoned up... albeit slightly. He was no where near as social or kind as Kuwabara, nor as open and heroic as Yusuke, but Hiei had come a long way from the dark hooded criminal he had once been. He would probably never be 'normal' in societies terms, yet in Kurama's eyes Hiei had grown immensely. That was all that mattered.

"Shuichi!" came a friendly voice from downstairs, "Dinner time!" It seemed his mother had finished with her ichiju-sansai. Kurama smiled to himself. He never quite got over how kind and gentile his mother was. Sometimes it still amazed him.

"Coming mother!" Kurama called out. Yet just as he stood up to make his leave for the kitchen, his cellphone began to ring. Kurama halted. There were only four people who had that number... and one of them was sitting outside on the tree. "Just a minute!" Kurama called out again, "I'm getting a call!"

At once he grabbed the phone, picking it up. "Hello?"

"HELLOOOO KURAMA!" Came a bubbly and loud voice from the other end of the phone. Kurama jerked his phone away from his ear as the noise caused his ear drum to ring irritably.

"Botan, hush!" Kurama begged, his voice coming out slightly harsher than he meant.

"Sorry!" Botan hissed in a mock whisper.

"Shout a little louder," Kurama grumbled, "I don't think they heard you in _Scotland!" _

"Sorry! Sorry!" Botan apologized " I didn't mean to make a fuss, I just hadn't talked to you in so long." Ah... there it was. Kurama sighed, leaning against the wall. He looked out the window to see that Hiei was sleeping soundly. Kurama was almost certain that Hiei was listening, and kept a wary eye on his old friend. There was no way Hiei couldn't have heard Botan's shriek. She was a sweet girl, but sometimes she needed to take it down a notch.

"Don't worry." Kurama assured you, "It's quite alright, I assure you. Might I inquire as to the pleasure of this call?"

"Well, it's not exactly a pleasure." Botan's voice was changing into a sad one.

"Is it a demon?" Kurama asked at once, "Should I round up Yusuke and Kuwabara? Hiei's right outside my window."

"...Can he hear you?" Botan asked, as if fearful. At this, Kurama raised an eyebrow.

"He can hear a great deal many things, Botan. Why should it matter?" Kurama asked, wary of the answer.

"Go somewhere where he can't hear you." Botan begged. Kurama stopped at this, puzzled. What on earth did Botan have to tell him that required Hiei out of earshot? Was it something to do with Hiei? Yukina? Kurama knew that Hiei was not going to willingly abandon his tree unless Kurama made him leave by force.

"...I have an idea." Kurama murmured over the phone. He laid it down on his desk, opening up his window to let the wind in. Hiei cracked open a ruby eye, intrigued.

"Hiei! Botan says she has a friend she wants you to meet. She's a very pretty girl, what do you say you go on a date with-" But before he could finish his sentence, Hiei sneered and flitted off with such grace that Kurama all but blinked and he was gone. Content with his little lie, Kurama chuckled to himself and picked back up the phone, "It's much easier to make Hiei leave than to try and hide from him." At this, Botan laughed.

"Good one." Botan joked.

"So why was it so important that Hiei be gone?" Kurama asked, sitting down in his desk chair and kicking off his shoes as he unbuttoned his shirt and pulled gently at the collar.

"... Because Hiei's mother has been reincarnated."

Kurama halted in his tracks, his mouth falling open and his emerald eyes wide.

"... What?" kurama demanded, certain that he'd heard wrong.

"Koenma decided we needed another healer for the upcoming Dark Tournament." Botan blabbed, her mouth running faster and faster, "He wanted to make sure we weren't limping out when we made our exit. He didn't want the task to fall on someone that we couldn't trust. A total stranger-"

"So to fill his selfish needs he brings back the tortured soul of a woman forced to live a hellish life?" Kurama demanded, outraged, "Has he no rock bottom? Does he not understand the horrible consequences this will bring? Why the hell would he bring this woman back? Surely there had to be another healer?"

"Koenma checked thru hundreds of files!" Botan explained, "He decided that no other woman could be trusted! You remember how double crossed we were in the last tournament?"

"And there's another thing!" Kurama snapped, "I thought the committee was dead! Killed by Toguro's hands! So whose running this whole sherade?"

"How am I supposed to know? I'm the team trainer! Not the liaison!" Botan snapped right back. "And stop being so negative! I think this is a good thing!"

"While I can understand your hoping, this matter will not go well with Hiei. And what of Yukina?" Kurama demanded.

"Knocked out cold." Botan admitted glumly, "Their mother and I arrived from spirit world this afternoon. Yukina saw her and passed out from shock."

"Is she alright?" Kurama asked at once.

"Her mother's one of the best healers." Botan joked, "She'll be just fine."

"Hiei is going to loose his mind. We might be pushing our boundaries this time." Kurama murmured, more to himself than to anyone else.

"That's why I'm calling you, Kurama! You're Hiei's best friend-!"

"I wouldn't go that far." Kurama shot down.

"He trusts and looks up to you!" Botan offered.

"That's funny, tell me another joke!" Kurama quipped. Hiei hardly looked up to him.

"I mean it, Kurama..." Botan's voice turned soft and gentle, melting Kurama's heart with it's loving undertones, "He'll listen to you. Try and break the news gently to him? At least get him prepared?"

"...You do realize I'm walking into the snake pit." Kurama finally felt him beginning to concede at the sound of Botan's tone. There was something about her that made him agree to some of the most ridiculous things.

"I have faith in you." Botan's voice was like cool soothing water over a hard wound.

"Oh do you?" Kurama couldn't help but flirt a tiny bit, even in the dark of the moment.

"You're smart." He could practically see Botan chewing her lip on the other end of the phone as she played with a smile, "You'll figure it out."

"Is that all I am." Kurama felt his smile fall a bit at the thought.

"...No..."

Kurama shook his head rapidly, pulling his brain out of the stupor as he remembered his mother downstairs. "We'll talk about this later." Kurama assured Botan, "I'm late for supper as it is, and if I'm going to break this kind of news to Hiei, I'm going to need to think out a game plan."

"You're the best Kurama!" Botan's smile was infectious and Kurama felt one spreading across his own face.

"Remember, it's Shuichi." Kurama warned.

"Oh..." Botan's voice was soft once again, "Goodnight, Shuichi."

"Goodnight Botan." And with that, Kurama hung up the phone. He dropped his phone into his pocket, rubbing his eyes wearily. "...I've lost my mind.." Kurama moaned into the palms of his hands. Just for good measure he gave his head a hard thunk into the wall, as if that might smack the common sense back into him.

"Are you alright?" His mother called from downstairs, hearing the sound.

"Nothing mother!" Kurama called out quickly, rubbed his forehead to ease the sting. "_Just walking to my death." _he hissed to himself, "I'm coming!"

_**(scene break)**_

After dinner was finished, Kurama walked back up to his room, mulling over what must be done. Hiei was many things. Emotional and upfront were hardly in the category. Frankly, if he was going to explain the situation to Hiei, he would have to use patience, skill, and kindness. His mother had sent him up to the room with some sweet Dango to much on, and Kurama did so.

"Difficult to enjoy Dango when you've got death on the line." Kurama murmured to himself, closing the door to his darkened bedroom behind him.

"Death for Kurama? Bullshit."

Kurama stiffened, whipping around to see Hiei lounging on Kurama's open window ledge, one leg dangling off. the wind teased his jet black hair, tossing it gently in the breeze. Hiei gave him a small smile, which Kurama returned in kind. He treasured this moment inwardly, because this was the last moment in time that Hiei would live carefree, without the baggage of his past coming back to circle over his head.

"Dango?" Kurama offered up the plate. Hiei leapt off the window ledge, taking a few from Kurama and popping them into his mouth. He sat upon the bed, relaxing for the moment and popping his neck.

"How are you feeling about the upcoming Dark Tournament?" Kurama asked, sitting down in his desk chair across from Hiei. Hiei rolled his ruby eyes.

"We'll win. Easily." Hiei grumbled. An easy and an obvious answer.

"You think we'll have any trouble with our opponents? After all, we don't know how this new committee will turn out. It may be even worse than the last." Kurama added warily.

"We'll win." Hiei repeated, "Easily."

"You have faith in your team." Kurama smiled. Hiei scoffed.

"I have faith in myself." Hiei growled.

"I have faith in you too." Kurama chuckled. There was a moment of silence, where Hiei and Kurama sat staring at one another. Kurama could not help but wonder what Hiei's reaction would be when he found out the news. Nervous as to Hiei's reaction, Kurama stood up and closed the window so that the hard wind could not rattle against his curtains. He caught Hiei's eye. Hiei raised an eyebrow warily as Kurama crossed to the other side of the room and slowly locked the door.

"Why are you locking the door?" Hiei asked, "when I could easily melt off the handle."

"Why would you melt off the handle?" Kurama parried back, not answering the question. As he turned his back to the door, Kurama slowly slipped a Makai seed into the lock, giving it a short burst of his ki to grow. It wouldn't be enough to hold Hiei off... but it would block the sounds from reaching his mother's unsuspecting ears.

"Why would you lock the door?" Hiei demanded again.

"... Maybe I don't want my mother finding a wild eyed fire demon laying on my bed." Kurama shrugged his shoulders. Hiei rolled his eyes once again.

"You care way too much about that woman." Hiei added lightly, relaxing on the wall and folding his arms behind his head. "Though I know why."

"... Did you love your mother?" Kurama asked, his throat tight with anticipation. Hiei's expression changed entirely.

"Love isn't something I know very well..." Hiei sighed, falling silent and saying nothing more.

"... Would you mind..." Kurama paused, thinking his words over with great care before speaking again, "Telling me how you feel about your mother?"

"You mean how I felt? My mother is dead." Hiei replied shortly. Kurama blanched. _Damn! _He'd have to be much more careful with his words. "I've left my past behind me, Kurama."

"I'm glad." Kurama spoke honestly. "I bet I know whose behind that."

Hiei gave a secret smile. It only confirmed Kurama's thoughts. _Yes... Mukuro was definitely behind that. _

"But I have some bad news." Kurama added, "...Some very bad news."

"Bad like how?" Hiei asked, intrigued, "I know it can't be a demon. Otherwise you'd say 'good news'. We like to play with our food." Hiei cackled at this.

"No." Kurama did not crack a smile, "It's not a demon."

"Then what?" Hiei grumbled, "I'm tired of your games."

"... It's your mother."

Hiei froze, his eyes locking onto Kurama's. It was now or never.

"Hiei.." Kurama looked down at his feet for a moment, trying to figure out the precise words it would take to make this pill any easier to swallow. "Koenma has done something, in my eyes, that is very foolish and unnecessary. But he has done it none the less, and we must live with it."

Hiei said nothing, his eyes still locked on Kurama's. It was the deer in the headlights look that Kurama feared to see. The horror in Hiei's eyes was clear. Hiei's eyes flickered to the door momentarily.

... And now he knew why Kurama had locked it.

"He reincarnated-"

Hiei was on his feet, his jaw open yet no words coming out. Kurama held his ground, moving to stand in between Hiei and the window. There was no turning back.

"Koenma reincarnated your mother in order to give our team a main healer that he could trust." Kurama let out in a rush.

For a moment, Hiei did nothing. His eyes were still locked onto Kurama's. Then, he let out a breath Kurama didn't know he'd been holding. He looked at the floor, his brow furrowed and his eyes sorrowful.

"...What...?" Hiei whispered, looking back up at Kurama with huge ruby red eyes. Kurama shivered as those eyes locked onto his own. There was something about Hiei's gaze that captivated him. Perhaps it was because the beauty of Hiei's inner soul was undeniable. His willingness to give up everything for the women in his life. His passion for moral order, and his hard clench on justice. When his eyes locked on yours, you knew you were going to get what you deserved, whether you liked it or not.

"...Forgive me for having to tell you that." Kurama pleaded.

"But..." Hiei rubbed his forehead, as if to sooth his jagan, "How can this be? She died years after I was exiled. Rui told me so."

"She did die. She committed suicide." Kurama added, "Koenma was able to reincarnate her, just like Yusuke... Your mother is alive now, Hiei. And she's with Yukina."

"My god..." Hiei murmured, his legs falling out from under them so that he crashed onto Kurama's bed. "I never thought it could be. I thought my journey would continue on alone."

"Fate has a funny way of showing us that we are not alone." Kurama sighed, sitting down next to Hiei. For a moment, Hiei said nothing. Then, he spoke up.

"When I was outcast... I lived with a demon clan... they were like my family." He admitted quietly. The moonlight shone down from the window, illuminating Hieis' face in a gentle milky glow.

"But they abandoned me when they realized that I was murderous. And I was alone again... I..." Hiei fell silent once more, "I gained myself back when I had a purpose. When I found out about Yukina. But after this past year... when I met Mukuro and trained under her... I felt as if my life was over. As if I had no purpose."

When Hiei remained silent for a long time, Kurama prompted, "Please, don't stop."

"I felt as if I had no purpose. And sometimes I still do... but if my mother is alive... then I could have a purpose again, in a strange way."

"Hiei, you don't know how glad I am that you are taking this well." Kurama murmured. He would never have admitted it, but he had been very fearful for a few moments that Hiei would react badly, even violently. _**(lol, making fun of myself here) **_

"Oh don't be fooled." Hiei scoffed quietly, "Inwardly I'm screaming."

"...What's she like..?" Hiei asked after a moment of silence.

"I don't know, Hiei." Kurama admitted, "Botan only told me about it over the phone just now."

"I thought she might have." Hiei grumbled, "Koenma uses her like a marionette."

"She is his Grim Reaper." Kurama smiled, "And her kindness is always around us when it comes to things like this."

The pair of them were quiet, staring at the carpeted floor. Kurama patted Hiei on the back, albeit awkwardly.

"You want to meet her?" Kurama asked.

"Kurama, she's my mother." Hiei joked sarcastically, "We've already met... Sort of goes along with the whole giving birth process."

Kurama chuckled at that.

"Yes, I suppose so." Kurama sighed, "Yet now that your mother has been returned to us... I think it's going to make things more complicated with Yukina, don't you?"

"I do." Hiei admitted, biting his lip at the thought. "Though I hardly know where to begin with her."

"It's not something you do in a day, without planning or preparing. If I were you I would take it one step at a time." Kurama thought, "Perhaps just speak with her... tell her things. Maybe she'll catch on before you have to tell her."

"She's a smart girl." Hiei smiled.

"Like her brother." Kurama added, holding up a dango. Hiei took the last dango from the plate and they made a mock toast, knocking the two kneaded balls together.

Kurama ate his at once, but Hiei pondered on his own, staring at nothing as the moonlight slowly drifted in and out of clouds. It was rather nice, the pair of them sitting next to one another, filling their bellies with the deserts Kurama's mother had made. Kurama relaxed, allowing Hiei to lean back onto his bed, his dango clutched loosely in his hand.

"I'm fucked, aren't I." Hiei cursed, mumbling into near silence.

"...Yep." Kurama sighed, leaning back as well. Black and Scarlet, their hair pooled together on the bed like a river of blood over a lake of charcoal. "You're fucked."

_**Authors Notes: Now that I've changed things, I hope that everything will turn out much better. Please submit reviews and tell me how you like Hiei's reaction now... Many thanks to all my wonderful readers who are following my story! **_


	5. Gem of My Heart

_**Hey guys! Wow, it feels like forever since I've updated. I'm sorry, I just really wanted to get this chapter right... this is the chapter when, you guessed it, Hiei and Hina meet! Woohoo! :D Also, we get a backstory of Yukiei, Hina's husband and Hiei and Yukina's father. Also, we get some closure between Yukina and Hina. Next chapter, Yusuke and Kuwabara make their appearance, and we get ready to train for the next Dark Tournament! Yeehaw! :D Anyways, without further ado, let's get this road on the show. .**_

_**(Scene Break) **_

It was pitch black outside when Yukina awoke. The stars shone down eerily in their ancient sky, their light twinkling morosely as a low wind moved thru the trees surrounding Genkai's dojo. Yukina shifted on her futon, her head pounding. She moaned, bringing up a sweaty hand to touch her aching forehead. She healed herself as best she could, shifting her own ki to ease the pain. Why did her head hurt so much? Was it because she'd hit her head? No... Yukina shifted uneasily. No, that wasn't it. Was it because she'd eaten something? No... Yukina shifted again, trying to sit up as best she could. She felt heavy in the chest, as if she'd been crying. Looking around in the dark, her eyes began to adjust to the lack of light. She saw her spare blankets, piled neatly in their corner. She saw a tray beside her bed, full of wet rags. Confused, she picked one up. It was full of a poultice for headaches. How strange, just what she needed. But why was it here? She looked to her right, and nearly cried aloud in fear and elation.

Her mother was asleep, leaning up against the wall.

Yukina placed a trembling hand over her mouth to stop herself from crying as she crawled closer to her mother for the first time since she was five years old, her heart aching as every detail she'd stored deep inside her as a powerful protective memory flowed out of her heart like a river of tears. She saw it all. The lines on her mother's forehead from stress and worry. Her hair, long and fluid... smelling of jasmine just as it always used to. Even her kimono, well pressed and cared for. Her mother did always enjoy ironing. Every detail was etched into Yukina's soul from her childhood. Every detail was as it should be, in it's exact place like a puzzle that had finally found a long lost piece. Unable to stop herself, Yukina leaned forward, placing her head timidly upon her mother's breast.

How easy was it to pretend that nothing had changed. To pretend that she'd never left her floating island. To pretend that she had never been captured by Tarukane. Never been tortured, defiled, and broken by that horrible man... Never felt his hot breathe down the back of her neck- _no! _Yukina shivered, unwilling to think any further. The nightmares were horrible, when she dreamed of those terrible days. She could hear her mother's heartbeat, and she focused on that instead. Not the heartbeat of a human, but the heartbeat of a demon, close to the back of her neck. She could feel it pumping away, pushing icy blood thru her mother's frozen veins... she needed to feel it. To know it like she'd known it when she was infant in the womb. She remembered being unborn, being wrapped around her brother. They were clinging to one another, twins thru and thru. She remembered that heartbeat, rocking them to sleep day in and day out.

Hina's eyes began to open as she felt a weight on her chest. She sighed, looking down only to freeze with wide eyes. Yukina! Hina closed her eyes, shivering as she slowly reached to pet Yukina's hair. But the very instant that Hina's fingertips touched the very tips of Yukina's frothy green fronds, Yukina jerked away terrified. Their eyes connected... bright red onto equally bright red. There was no difference. Their iris' were the same.

Hina sat up, so that the blankets gave way and she was uncovered. The two women stared at one another, enraptured.

"...Yukina..." Hina whispered, "You're awake."

At first, Hina thought that Yukina might be overjoyed to see her mother. But instead Yukina looked horrified, her pink lips trembling and her eyebrows hitching. Hina gaped, reaching out, afraid that Yukina was deeply upset. Her worst fears were confirmed when Yukina burst into quiet tears, stuffing her petite fist into her mouth in order to keep the sound to herself. Hirosekes bounced onto the futon as Yukina pulled away, hiding her face in the sleeves of her kimono.

"Yukina..." Hina murmured, her voice hitching as she held back tears of her own, "Please don't cry. Please-" She attempted to wrap her arms around Yukina, but before she could hold her daughter tight Yukina jerked away as if she'd been branded by a heat.

"No!" Yukina yanked away, her eyes wild and spilling with fresh tears, "You're dead!" The words hit Hina like bullets, and she gasped at the pain in her heart, "I buried you! I buried an empty casket, you jumped over a cliff, your body falling into the forest below, eaten up by demons! My mother is dead, so who on earth on you?" Yukina demanded, crying harder than ever into her kimono.

Hina shivered as an icy sweat fell from her forehead at the demand.

"Yukina." Hina's voice was pathetically weak, and she cursed herself for her foolishness. In all her fears about her son, she had completely forgotten about her daughter. No wonder Yukina was upset, "...I..."

"You abandoned me!" Yukina wailed, her heartbreak clear in her voice, "You left me for the birds! If it hadn't been for Rui I would have been worm meat! Why?" Yukina demanded, grabbing the front of Hina's robes in white knuckled fists and jerking her mother, "Why did you do it? Tell me why you left me!" At that, Yukina's grip weakened as her sorrow became fresh again. She moaned into her arms, her body wracking with sobs.

"I'm so sorry..."Hina whispered in a meek and pathetic voice, unable to speak above the tinniest fracture for the clenching in her throat, " I...I know it's been tough, but it's going to be okay. I-"

"It's not fair!" Yukina shrieked, letting go of Hina and at the same time almost shoving her away in outrage. Hina looked away, wiping her eyes hurriedly. It was not her place to cry, " It's not fair, you died for your son, but you couldn't live for your daughter? Why was I so unimportant to you? Was it because I was a girl?" Yukina demanded. Outside the sun was coming up. It was the dawning of a new day... a horrible day. Hina burst out at once, trying to force down her own guilt.

"No-! I... It wasn't like that!" Hina beseeched, the guilt overwhelming, " It had nothing to do with you. It was because of you that I was able to live as many years after that horrible day as I did-"

"_That _horrible day?" Yukina mocked, her voice shrewd for the first time as she scoffed, "Do you know what kind of a day I had when I was pulled out of school to be told my sinful harlot of a mother had thrown herself over a cliff and that it was good riddance? Do you know what kind of a day that was?"

Hina gaped.

For a moment, there was silence as the sun rose. Tears fell silently down Hina's cheeks as her daughter pulled away from her, disgusted of what she saw. Hina had never felt more ashamed in her life. Not even when her mother had caught her touching her sex, a young girl confused with her new and growing body... not when she'd been discovered, hiding in an abandoned shack with Yukiei, covered in blood and fetal waters with her two newborn children clutched in each arm... Never before had she felt so awfully ashamed.

The sun was now up. Birds were chirping as mother and daughter stared at one another, their expressions riddled with guilt, disgust, and anger.

"...Yukina..." Hina whispered, tears dripping down her chin. She tried to think of something, _anything _to say that would make this situation better. But her mind was a blank, and her heart was as heavy as an anvil. Yukina rose on shaky legs, her feet bare on the cold floor. She moved to the door, her fingers sweaty and jiggling on the doorknob.

"I have to go." Yukina whispered, more to herself than to her mother, "I have to think. I have to- I have to-" She finally managed to get the door open and rushed out, slamming it behind her.

Unable to contain her grief, Hina burst into tears, falling onto her face as she crashed into the futon, smelling the scent of her daughter and wishing to all the gods in heaven that Yukina could love her as much as Hina loved her daughter.

_**(Scene Break) **_

It had been rather easy for Kurama to slip out of his house unnoticed, taking Hiei with him. Kurama felt rather guilty for stealing a few bagels for breakfast while he'd run out the door without so much as a goodmorning kiss to his mother. Then again, Hiei wasn't the kissing type, and it would be no way to make friends if Hiei was forced to object.

The pair of them made their way up the grand dojo stairs, slightly sweaty from their early morning hike but fully awake. Kurama was nervous to Hiei's reaction upon meeting his mother, and kept throwing Hiei obscure glances he was sure the fire demon was noticing. Hiei, for his own manor, didn't make this known. He merely stared ahead as he walked, his eyes dead set on his goal. The only way he knew was straight ahead. Kurama could not help but admire him for that, especially in the face of emotional tradgedy and fear. He was certain that for all Hiei's calmness on the oustide that on the inside he might very well be screaming. Kurama noticed out of the corner of his eye that all the hairs on the back of Hiei's neck were beginning to stand up. Kurama could not blame him. Something felt off in the dojo. Something that Kurama nor Hiei had ever noticed before.

"I can sense a different energy coming from inside the dojo." Hiei murmured, halting as they reached the halfway point up the stairs. Kurama paused as well, taking a deep breathe thru his kitsune nose. Yes... he could smell it too. It smelt of ice, wind, freedom, and jasmine.

"I can sense it too. I believe it's your mother... Whose that?" Kurama blurted out as a figure at the top of the stairs caught his eye. For a moment he was certain it was Hiei's mother, and he panicked at the thought. Yet it turned out to only be Yukina, who was tripping over her wooden shoes as she ran hastily down the stairs, her face in her hands as hiroseke stones bounced all around her. She was crying.

"-Yukina!" Hiei shouted as she ran past the pair of them. He bolted off after her.

"Hiei!" Kurama called out in warning.

"I've got her!" Hiei shouted over his shoulder as he followed Yukina down the steps. He caught up to her easily, grabbing her gently by the upper arms. She struggled to break free of his grip, her eyes pinched shut as if she didn't want to face the world. "Yukina!" Hiei demanded, shaking her lightly, "Yukina, look at me!"

Yukina did so, her tear stained cheeks gleaming in the morning sun as she finally faced him. She broke down crying in his arms, and Hiei's heart twanged with remorse. Of all the hardships he'd undergone in life, it still pained him to watch Yukina cry. It made him feel small and worthless. Like a disgusting animal. He held her as best he could in their awkward position, catching Kurama's eye at the halfway point of the stairs. Hiei jerked his head, hoping Kurama would get the message. The fox was sharp, and nodded curtly, continuing up the steps to investigate the source of this unusual disturbance.

"It's not fair!" Yukina hiccuped, her face burried in Hiei's black cloak. _Yes, _he wanted to agree, _It's never been fair my sweet sister. _

"What's not fair?" Hiei soothed as best he could. He was never one for showing emotions, yet for Yukina he'd make the exception. "Did someone hurt you? Tell me who and I swear I'll-"

"It's my mother." Yukina began to wail. Hiei's heart jumped into his throat at the words. Did she know something about his connection to her? Did she knew he was her brother? "She's been brought back! I thought she was dead, but Koenma brought her bak and it's _not fair!" _Yukina burst into a wave of tears, "She left me! She killed herself for my brother, but she couldn't live for me! I was left alone! I could have died too if it weren't for Rui! She wouldn't have cared... She wouldn't have cared at all." Yukina moaned bitterly into Hiei's chest.

It was bizarre, but Hiei felt rather guilty. Yes, their mother had indeed killed herself over his supposed death. Why then hadn't she been able to stay alive for Yukina? Hiei prayed it wasn't for his mother loving Yukina any less and was certain that there was an answer for all of it.

"Yukina..." Hiei began, helping her to sit down on the steps. He tore off a piece of his cloak, showing her to blow her nose into the rag and wipe her tear stained face clean, "That's not true.. Don't say things like that. You know it's not true. Your mother was sick... she was just sick." Hiei sighed, looking down at his worn out black boots. _Yes, _he thought bitterly, _She was sick because of me. _"Sick people do sick things... She never would have killed herself if it weren't for..." Hiei's voice trailed away. _If it weren't for me. _

"She wouldn't have killed herself if I'd been thrown off." Yukina griped in a slightly selfish tone. Hiei could not blame her.

"Are you kidding me?" Hiei demanded, trying to cheer his sister up the best that he could, "She would have thrown herself off right after you. She waited how many years before she dove off after m-" Hiei caught himself, his heart jumping in horror as he nearly forgot, " after your brother?"

"Five..." Yukina admitted glumly.

"Five years. Wow." Hiei made a voice of mock impressment, "She really must have loved you a lot."

Yukina gave Hiei a timid smile, "You're sweet to say."

"Hey." Hiei put an arm around his sisters sloping shoulders, "I mean it... If it were me, I'd have jumped off after you."

Yukina looked up at him, her ruby eyes full of wonder and love, "Really?" She seemed slightly shocked.

"Of course. Can't live without you, blue bird." Hiei added.

"Blue bird?" Yukina asked confused.

"They're always drawn to you." Hiei explained, "And I think you sing just like a blue bird."

"You're silly.." Yukina smiled grimly. She sniffed, blowing her nose one last time into the torn off section of Hiei's cloak, rising up on wobbly legs. Hiei stood up, taking her by the arm and walking up the stairs by her side.

"Have you made any headway on my brother?" Yukina asked timedly. Hiei's heart sank, "Now that my mother is back, I feel it's more important than ever for my full family to be reunited."

Hiei sighed, "Yukina, why do you think your brother is still alive after all these years?"

"I feel him in my heart." Yukina touched her breast, "Always."

Hiei smiled at that. Truth me told, he often felt her in his own heart. A peaceful easy feeling that he could sink into when times were too difficult to face alone. He glanced at the arm she held onto. Near his elbow was a white scar that encircled his entire arm. Little did she know that at one point in time, Hiei had nearly killed himself for her... for his honor. He remembered the fight with Shigure well. Sometimes he wondered if he should have died that day.

"What does he feel like?" Hiei asked, curious.

"Warmth, love, courage." Yukina mused it over, "I think sometimes he'd have a temper. Don't all older brothers?"

"If Shizure's any model.." Hiei grumbled, thinking of the tall brunnette that waved her fist like a torch.

"But she's an older sister!" Yukina laughed.

"Who says there's any difference?" Hiei demanded, laughing. It was rare that he laughed, yet it felt right to do so now... It felt good to laugh for Yukina. To know that there was still joy and humor in the world. He wondered if Mukuro felt the same way when she laughed with him.

"You know, it's so interesting." Yukina mused, "I wonder what my brother would look like."

"Mmm." Hiei could not pass the opportunity up. "Would he be handsome?" They'd nearly reached the top of the stairs now.

"And tall!" Yukina added with a bright smile, her past tears and sorrow long forgotten.

At this, Hiei felt a stab of guilt. _Don't get your hopes up, _Hiei thought bitterly to himself, cursing his height for what felt like the thousandth time.

"And he'd have eyes just like mine." Yukina added, laughing a little as she added, "Just like yours actually!"

At this, Hiei did not know what to say. Yet it seemed that fate had finally stepped in, as Yukina gapsed, and whispered to Hiei, "That's her." into his ear. Hiei looked up the steps, his eyes widening and his jaw slacking as, for the first time in his life, Hiei gazed upon the face of his mother...

_She made the whole world fade to grey. _

_They were transcended into another moment in time altogether. The pair of them locked eyes, red upon red. All others vanished as mother and son realized each other for who they were... Hina felt like she was floating as she slowly descended the stairs as Hiei ascended them one at a time. They circled around one another as they finally met in the middle, looking each other up and down. The world was blotted out. They were the only ones left. Hina reached out with desperate longing, touching the shell of Hiei's ear. He'd grown so tall since he'd been an infant. Yukiei's living image. Hiei reached out and touched Hina's lips, recalling their softness and sweetness. Once upon a time, she'd kissed him from head to toe, loving him as only a mother could. They closed their eyes, lost in the moment. _

When they opened their eyes, none of the events had transpired. There were Botan, Genkai, and Kurama, all standing around Hina at the top of the stairs. Yukina clutched tightly to Hiei's arm as Hiei and Hina locked eyes. No words were spoken.

"Here we go.." Kurama whispered.

What words could describe the scene before him as his mother floated down the stairs? Hiei could not fully explain the beauty of the moment, like a princess descending her castle steps, or an angel floating down from heaven. His mother was tall for a koorime, slim and lovely. Her hair swam around her in a gentle pony tail clasped by a red ribbon. Her kimono was an icy blue that dripped all the way down to her ankles, where only her shoes and white toed socks could be seen. Hina was the image of perfect beauty in Hiei's eyes, and Hiei knew why. After all, Hina was the only woman who had ever loved Hiei truly and deeply. Hina had begged for his life to be spared. Hina had adored him, cooed him, given him all that she had to offer. She was, in his eyes, the perfect mother.

Hina's heart was hammering in her throat as she stared with eternal longing at her son. She knew fully well that she could not fully reveal Hiei's actual identity in front of Yukina. It would be on her son's time that Yukina knew the full truth. Hina could not deny her joy upon gazing on her son's face. His cheek bones, his sharp nose, his broad shoulders... all of it was Yukiei. The look in his eyes, the way that they softened when they stared upon her.

Yes. Hiei knew exactly who she was.

They came to stand in front of one another.

"...Hello.." Hina whispered, her throat tight.

"...Hello." Hiei whispered back. Yukina stared at the pair of them, slighty confused.

"Mother, this is Hiei." Yukina explained, "He's a good friend of mine. He's been searching for my brother."

Hina's heart filled with pain at that. "Well." Hina sighed, "Mr. Hiei, thank you for your help. Won't you..." Yet she forgot what she was going to say, too enraptured with her sons face, "Won't you..."

"Come up." Hiei supplied, his own voice just as tight.

"..Yes." Hina agreed.

"Hiei?" Yukina asked, still confused, "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Yukina." Hiei assured his sister, patting her hand a little. The three of them turned as one, walking up the steps as a group. At the top of the stairs, Kurama could not help but see the family resemblence.

"That's a macabre family." Kurama murmured.

"They look like a dark little group." Genkai added in jest.

"Oh my." Botan pinched her lips together, slightly worried. As soon as Hiei, Hina, and Yukina reached the top of the stairs, Hiei gave Kurama a stern look.

"Kurama... take Yukina inside." Hiei mouthed silently.

"Yukina, could you help me make some tea?" Kurama offered. Yukina was only too willing to oblige.

"Of course, Kurama." At that, the pair of them walked into the dojo. Kurama shut the door after them, giving Hiei the all clear look. As soon as the door slipped shut, Hina and Hiei faced each other clearly for the first time.

"Um... Hiei... This is-" Botan started, but Hiei cut her off.

"I know who she is, Botan." Hiei snapped, glaring.

"Well.. Um..." It was clear that Botan was very nervous with the situation. Hina could not help but think it had something to do with the murderous look on Hiei's face, "This is a good thing!" Botan made an obnoxiously noisy laugh, "Now you're together again!"

"Botan." Genkai murmured, "Hush."

"Right." Botan pinched her lips shut before she could fumble any more.

As mother and son stared at one another, the full truth could finally come forward. Hina reached out, touching Hiei with the palm of her hand. His skin was flushed and warm, just like Yukiei's had been, and she shivered with pleasure and happiness. It had been so long since she had touched him in this way... held him as a mother ought to hold her son. Hiei shivered as well, a strange longing in his eyes. How often had he dreamed of a family that would care for him and love him?

"Hiei..." Hina moaned softly, almost wanting to cry. The day had started off so horribly, and now this. What greater joy could a mother receive than the return of her children? Had Hiei heard of her rebirth and come straight here? Had he longed to see her just as much as she'd longed to see him?

"...Mother..." Hiei finally spoke, his red eyes full of sorrow.

"You're so tall." Hina dropped her hand, brushing Hiei's shoulders as she did so. His cloak was filthy. She would have to mend it. He was also dirty. When was the last time he'd bathed. Had he ever cut his hair? Had he taken care of his wounds, or were they infected?

"I'm not." Hiei grumbled. Hina scoffed. He was certainly taller than she was, and she'd been the tallest girl in her class back when she had been in school on the glacier village.

"You are." Hina assured, "You look just like your father."

"...You cannot tell Yukina who I am. You understand that, right?" Hiei's voice softened at the blow. Hina frowned, shaking her head sadly.

"No... I don't understand, Hiei." Hina sighed. "You have your sister. She loves you."

"There are things you don't know." Hiei looked away, as if ashamed of himself. Hina wanted to throw a fit like she'd done with Koenma. What did he have to be ashamed of? All that he had done, he had done for good and glory! A gentleman in the wilderness! "It's not your affair."

"You are my son." Hina warned, "She is my daughter. You are my children. It is my affair." Her voice was deep and low, her intention sincere. Hiei blanched. It was clear to Hina that no one had ever talked to him in such a manor. At least, she was certain that he'd never taken someone seriously when they'd done so.

"You have been dead all of our lives." Hiei warned back, "You don't know your own daughter. You don't know me by a long shot."

"That's because the pair of you will never give me the chance." Hina begged. Hiei grimaced at her tones. She knew how hard it must be for him to deny her, when she was finally before him... what he'd always wanted.

"Chance?" Hiei's gloom was infectious, ruining Hina's whole day, "What kind of chance can I give you? There is no chance out there that can save this family." Hiei moved forward, unwilling to look Hina in the eye any longer. Hina made to move after him, but Botan stopped her, tugging her back gently by the Obi.

"I'm sorry Hina." Botan sighed, "But Hiei's the type that needs his space."

Hina watched her son go, his black cloak swishing in the wind as he strode down thru the dojo, the sun bouncing off his blackened features like a glaring light. He vanished into the darkened shadows of the garden, like a mist that evaporated or a fog that shifted... Never before had she seen such a depressing sight.

_**(Scene Break)**_

Kurama, Botan, Genkai, and Hina sat around Genkai's kitchen table on small poofs of feathers and downy. Four cups of tea were upon the table, with the teapot steaming from the stove. The green tea made Hina's sore throat feel better. She had spent most of the day crying in her room, unable to get over the grief of her son's despair and her daughters anger. Only upon Botan's insistence had Hina come out, now sitting in between Genkai and Kurama as the three of them pressed upon her all the positive sides of the situation and encouraged her.

"Yukina is a little better." Kurama offered, "That's a plus."

"Mm." Hina mumbled, sipping her tea idly as her eyes were squared upon the table.

"You're thinking about Hiei aren't you?" Kurama asked when Hina said nothing. Hina sighed, giving the kitsune a sad look.

"How can I not?" She admitted glumly.

"Hiei is a tough individual." Genkai murmured, "If I were you, I would give him as much space as possible."

"I agree." Botan nodded vigorously, "Hiei doesn't like to be hugged." At this, Kurama chortled, smiling at Botan.

"It's got nothing to do with hugs, Botan. I feel that Hiei is going to need space, not for hugs, but for _hope. _Hope is a difficult thing in his eyes. He's never known hope."

"I can give him hope." Hina griped, "If only he'd let me."

"He must have his space to accept hope." Kurama urged gently, patting Hina idly on the hand.

"Then I'l give him space." Hina whispered, wiping her face before new tears could form, "Though it pains me."

"I am very impressed with your integrity, Hina." Kurama offered kindly. Hina smiled at him.

"Thank you Kurama." She paused for a moment, unsure how to bring a tense subject up, "I don't suppose you remember me."

"Remember you?" Kurama asked, confused. Hina smiled, closing her eyes. Of course he didn't remember. He'd left his old life behind.

"In another life, when your name was Yoko Kurama King of Thieves, you were not very friendly to my husband Yukiei." Hina admitted, slightly embarrassed. At the sound of the name, Kurama thought to himself, his brow furrowed.

"Yukiei..." Kurama murmured, closing his eyes as he scanned his deepest memories, "Yukiei... -Yukiei! Yukiei is-!"

"My husband." Hina smiled sadly, "Yes."

Kurama gaped at the thought. It seemed he did, indeed, remember Yukiei from his past, "And Hiei and Yukina's father... Dear god." Kurama whispered.

"Whose Yukiei?" Botan demanded, "I've heard you talk about him, but I've never known who he is."

Hina became sad and withdrawn as all eyes fell on her. She knew that she would have to tell her whole sorry tale before they were satisfied. She had hoped she would never have to relive the story again. Living came with a price.

"... Many centuries ago, when I was a young Koorime, I was allowed to visit the surface world. I used my time to do charity work during the Dark Tournament for teams that didn't have a healer... It was then that I met him.

_**(Scene Break) **_

"_I hope my healing powers will ease your suffering." Hina spoke up as she allowed her ki to cover the dying man under her care. The demon gave her a broken smile as he hissed at the sting of pain. Hina could not blame him. He was a broken bag of bones, completely destroyed by his opponent. His team had lost the point during his round, yet he still retained his hope and his optimism. Hina was intrigued by such men. _

"_Truely." The man murmured thru his pain, "You are an angel." _

_Hina smiled, healing him as best she could. She glanced around the room at sudden movement. Outside of the locker rooms, she could hear the cheer of the crowd. Two men came skipping into the room, smacking hands and laughing loudly. _

"_We've won! Yukiei you've done it again you son of a bitch!" One man cursed to another as the third man walked into the room. The fifth player rose from his seat on the bench, smiling at the man. He was tall with broad shoulders, black hair drenching his head with only a white starburst atop his forehead to mark the difference. He was bloodied, battered, but fiercely alive. The man caught the eyes of his fallen teammate under Hina's care and moved to his side. _

"_How are you feeling?" The man asked. Hina's patient gurgled as blood got into his mouth. Hina tried to shush him but to no avail. _

"_I'm fine." The man assured the other. Hina rolled her eyes. Such classic men. _

"_We'll see about that." The other man smiled grimly, rising back up. "Rest up. We've got a few days till our next round. We're going to the semi finals boys!" the rest of the team gave a cheer. The man exited the room, pulling his bloodied shirt off his back. Hina caught a glimpse of a tattoo spread across his back of a woman bound in chains, her feet being burned by a blazing fire. In her hands she held a child, shielding it from all harm. _

"_Who is that man?" Hina asked her patient. The man beneath her touch smiled fondly. _

"_That's Yukiei. Our team leader." He coughed up a bit of blood as he spoke, "Don't worry about healing him, sweetheart. He hardly ever gets hurt." _

_**(Scene Break)**_

"The minute I saw that tattoo... saw the despair and the pain... I was drawn to him like a moth to a flame. I couldn't heal his wounds but I could heal his heart." Hina sighed, looking down into her cooling cup of tea, "It turned out Yukiei was no stranger to pain... He'd lost loved ones to battle, and to sorrow. He feared nothing, believed in nothing... he was a loose canon. But I loved him. I could see underneath his facade and routine... he was a beautiful soul, desperate to stop the destruction of others. He followed his heart like a flower on the wind. He went wherever he wanted, following the voices of his past. He traveled a million miles to chase his dreams, always remembering me. He used to say that I was his brother in ice. That we were twins, the pair of us. He connected to me in a way I could never explain to another person. We were two hearts joined together. Forever... one." Hina clasped her fist on the word.

_**(Scene Break)**_

_The sun was setting on Hanging Neck Island. Hina and Yukiei were on the beach, watching as wild gulls took flight into the wind. Hina threw herself into the breeze, utterly in love with the man before her. Yukiei caught her before her so that they fell into the sand, the pair of them kicking and scratching as they battled for dominance. Hina won, climbing atop him and straddling his hips. She thrust into him, praying he would know her love. _

"_You know," Yukiei lounged, as if they were not in an awkward position in public eye, "Life has a funny way of doing justice to those who deserve it." _

"_What makes you say that?" Hina prompted with a coy smile. Yukiei shrugged beneath her, a dopy smile upon his face. _

"_I found you, didn't I?" Yukiei offered. Hina blushed, smiling sheepishly. _

"_Yes you did." Hina agreed, capturing Yukiei's lips in a searing kiss without further ado. _

_**(Scene Break)**_

"He and I were inseparable during the tournament." Hina explained, wiping hasty tears from her eyes, "They took me on as their healer full time, and I grew to love their team like a family. Every time we'd face a new team, I thought it would be the end. I was so scared of loosing him. Of loosing what I'd come to love so deeply. But every time, he pulled out on top. It amazed me how close their group was. They truly were brothers, though none of them were family. We grew up in the ranks of the tournament, making it past the semi finals to the last round. We were second in line to fight the final team. Our opponent before we could make it to the last round was Team Yoko. If you recall, Kurama... You fought my husband during that time. It was a draw. The first of it's kind."

"How could I forget..." Kurama murmured, his head bowed in thought.

_**(Scene Break)**_

"_THEY'LL KILL EACH OTHER!" Hina shrieked in terror. She clutched at her throat, horrified as Yukiei and that damned Yoko Kurama were locked head to head, plant on fire. Flame coated the battle field, along with shriveled remains of horrific plants. They were locked in a deathly embrace, struggling for the upper hand as their ki bounced off, threatening to rip them apart if they did not split soon for a breath of air. _

"_What do we do!" Hiroshi demanded, his eyes wild with fear. _

"_There's nothing we can do!" Taro snarled, bitter and angry as their team leader was tossed back and forth like a rag doll. Hina ran up to the edge of the ring, banging her fists on the crumbling marble. _

"_YUKIEI!" Hina screamed as loud as she could, "STOP! STOOOOP!" But it was no use. Yukiei and Yoko Kurama were locked head to head, battling ferociously. _

_Up in the battle, Yoko snarled as Yukiei bit at him with fire, forcing his ki to shift uncomfortably to get away unscathed. _

"_There's no justice in the world!" Yukiei roared, spitting with rage, "I should have been able to beat you with ease!" _

"_Don't flatter yourself!" Yoko Kurama hissed, lashing back with a poisonous vapor, "You'll rue the day you met me!" _

"_No" Yukiei ground out, forcing Kurama back inch by inch, his ki growing hotter and faster! "I wont!" With a blast, Yukiei and Yoko Kurama were both blasted off their feet, toppling over backwards and falling outside the ring. Yukiei crumpled into a smoldering heat, spitting with anger. On the other side, Yoko Kurama tossed and turned, his own poison biting at his skin with flesh tingling pain. _

"_Both fighters are outside the ring!" The referee cried out, "I'll start the count! One, two, three-!" _

"_Yukiei!" Hina shrieked, rushing to his side and dropping to her knees, "Yukiei, oh my god, are you okay?" She began to heal him where ever she touched him, terrified that it might already be too late. _

"_Shit.." Yukiei moaned as his team huddled around him, "I think the fucker got my liver." _

_On the opposite side of the ring, an identical conversation was taking place as Yoko Kurama attempted to rise to his feet while his teammates gathered around. _

"_Yoko!" Yomi shouted, always the hot head, "Are you alright?" _

"_Kurama!" Kuronue cried out, "Kurama say something!" _

"_Help me to stand, Kuronue." Yoko hissed thru the pain, "I'm going to destroy that fiend." _

"_No!" Kuronue held on tight, wrapping his sinewy arms around Kurama's chest lovingly. _

_On the opposite side of the ring, the same begging could be heard. _

"_No, I beg of you!" Hina beseeched. _

_On the opposite side, her thoughts were mimicked by her rivals lover. _

"_Don't do this to yourself..." Kuronue whispered into Kurama's ear, soft and low, "Please... In the time that I've known you, you've never lost a fight... but..." _

"_Seven, eight, nine-!" _

_And so it was that the two lovers spoke in unison to their different spouses, cradling them in their laps so as to keep them from fighting. Hina and Kuronue spoke as one, their voices clear above the riot, "In the time that I've known you, I've never loved you more. Please... for our love. Don't do this to us. Just stay down. I need you more alive than I need you a victor. I don't care how many fights you win, how many glories you steal. I love you all the same..." _

_And so it was that, on both sides of the playing field, a kiss was shared between two couples. _

"_TEN!" the referee screamed out, sending the crowd into a flurry, "Both fighters are outside the ring! No point is awarded!" And with that, the crowd went wild. _

_**(Scene Break) **_

A silence fell as Hina paused in her story, looking Kurama in the eye. They smiled at one another, their hatred for each other a thing of the past. They knew now full well that battles were not the reason for living. That love was all that mattered in the end.

"..After that, we were together. The team didn't make it to the final rounds, so we returned to Yukiei's home country, where the team had met originally. They were similar to your team now. A group of men who cared for one another greatly. There was Hiroshi, Mamoru, Taro, Yasuo... and Yukiei. They'd known each other since childhood. Hiroshi was a generous man who liked to donate to charity. He was either filthy rich, or dirt poor depending on whether or not he'd given away his money. But He was a kind man who loved children. Mamoru was different. He didn't like money at all, and worked very hard with craft workers of metal. He could make swords and weapons of all types. My husbands sword was made by Mamoru... It should have been Hiei's when he was born. When they tossed him over, they threw down the sword as well... a beautiful katana... I don't know whether or not it made the journey with him. Mamoru was a good man. A diligent swords maker. Taro was a first born male, and a hot head. In the country of my husbands origin, males were considered to be of great importance over females. The first born male was to receive everything that was his fathers. Taro liked to believe he could defeat any enemy at any time just because his father was a great man and had trained him in his style... but he was a fool. Taro was the reason our team didn't make it as far as they did. He was vain and proud. Yasuo was our fifth team member. He wasn't used for fighting. He was just the back up fighter. Yasuo was a peaceful man. He hardly ever quarreled with another. Yet I have the feeling that if Yasuo ever did fight... he would win. You see, Yasuo was the kind of man who believed in the presence of God, and his direction over the living. He believed that each day was a good day to die. He fought with nothing to loose. With nothing to gain. Yukiei admired Yasuo for that" Hina paused, remembering each member in turn. She could see them now. Hiroshi with his many earrings and his nose piercing of bone. Mamoru, all covered in ashes and soot from working with the metals. Taro, covered in fine heirs and strutting like a peacock, ever the clown... Yasuo with that same simple smile, offering Hina a piece of his lunch or presenting her with a flower he'd picked in the fields.

"... Anyways, we returned to the home land. It was there that I found myself for the first time. The country of the fire demons was a beautiful place full of glory, battle, blood, and heat. I healed for the army, under my husbands direction. It was there that we were married. It was there that I became pregnant with Yukina and Hiei. I knew that in order for me to give birth, I would have to return home. You see, Ice Apparitions are extremely weak during pregnancy. the heat would have killed me. I told Yukiei I would go alone. I didn't want him to suffer just because I was in a delicate condition. But then Yukiei swore he would never leave my side. We ventured together back home. It was his turn to be bewildered. He'd never seen snow before. He loved it, you know. Thought it was the tears of angels. I never corrected him... I thought it was beautiful, watching his curiosity. ... But just when I thought we were safe... that I could deliver and be free of my terrible icy world... they came."

And suddenly, Hina was lost in the memories of her past, unable to escape the horrors...

_**(Scene Break) **_

_She was bound and gagged, broken again and again as her elders beat her viciously. Blood fell from her forehead as she was smashed into the ground. She could hear her children screaming and crying, their infant wails lost into the icy wind of the glacier village as her elders screamed at her. _

"_Hina! You filthy wretched girl!" Her elder slapped her so hard that blood came out of her mouth, "What have you done?" They shrieked, "What have you done? You've brought upon us a curse! This emiko! This man of fire! He will slaughter us all! He will destroy us all!" _

_**(Scene Break) **_

Hina shivered, feeling a cold creep into her chest and freeze her heart with it's icy hatred, "They... They came with magic. Old magic. The kind of magic I'd never seen before. They... froze Yukiei. Froze him solid." Hina paused, biting her tongue to stop her voice from quivering, "Chained the ice with talismans. Turned him into a glacier. Froze him into the side of the mountain... I..." Hina could no longer hide her distress. She rose quickly, hurrying for the door, "Excuse me."

She walked all the way out of the dojo, closing the massive doors behind her. Rushing down the stairs as the tears began to pour down her cheeks, Hina made it to the bottom steps, pressing her hands over her mouth as she screamed out, wailing at the top of her lungs as her whole body was wracked with horrible sobs. It felt like she was alone for hours, alone in her horrible and undying misery.

Up in the garden, Yukina paused in her preening as she heard horrible crying. She had a feeling she knew who it was. Worried, Yukina made her way out of the high vegetables, peering outside the dojo doors. Down at the bottom of the long steps was her mother, crying her heart out.

To some extent, Yukina felt justified, for she remembered crying just as hard during the first few days when her mother had died. Yet... in her heart she could not hold hate against her mother. After all, her mother had loved her tenderly. Had given her the best life she could even while the entire community had mocked and jaded her. Yukina recalled easily how the other women in their village had spat on her mother. How they'd kicked snow at her and even thrown rotten fruit at her. Some women had even tried to take Yukina away from her mother. But Yukina remembered easily how her mother had turned into a vicious snake, screeching and biting at the women who had touched Yukina.

"_Get away from my daughter, you murderers!" _Her mother had screamed. They had left after that, too afraid to go near her.

Yukina remembered how her mother had tucked her into bed at night, telling her stories of her father and how brave he'd been. Sometimes she even told stories about her brother, saying that he was a beautiful angel in heaven, watching over them and protecting them. Rui had begged to differ, certain that her brother was still alive.

... Rui had tried to so hard to keep her mother going. They all had. But in the end...

Yukina looked down at her wooden shoes, ashamed. She stepped outside of the dojo doors, making her way down the stairs timidly as she drew closer and closer to her mother.

They'd all tried to keep her mother going... but in the end it hadn't been enough to save her from her own misery.

Yukina reached her mother, sitting down beside her and wrapping her arms around her mothers shoulders timidly. Her mother leaned into her embrace, weeping.

"Don't cry." Yukina whispered, "Life is good, and we have many friends. There is no sadness in this life."

"I'm s-sorry... I m-miss you f-father..." Hina moaned into her daughter's lap as she weeped.

"Dad wouldn't have wanted you to cry." Yukina spoke up, "Dad would want you to be happy. You're with me. Doesn't that mean... anything to you?" Her voice was tiny but her emotion big. Slowly, Hina raised her face up from Yukina's lap, her eyes blazing with fierce love and devotion even as they were full of tears.

"Yukina... being with you is the only thing that kept me alive. That keeps me alive now. I see your father in you. I hear him in your voice. But I also see your own face, and I hear your own voice. It makes me so proud. Life is a gift that cannot be replaced, but the greatest gift I have ever received, will ever receive, was you and your brother. You are the true treasure of my life... the gem of my heart." Hina reached out, touching her daughter's face before drawing her into a fierce hug.

"You are the gem of my heart." Hina whispered into the top of Yukina's sea foam head.

And she meant it.

_**(Scene Break)**_

_**Wow. That came out so much sadder than I thought it would. Okay guys, time for reviews! Critiques are loved, and flames are laughed upon. Next chapter, we finally get our favorite human boys in on the action, and start the training for the Dark Tournament! How will Hina react when Kuwabara meets her and starts promising her revenge upon all those who've dishonored her? **_


	6. In Good Conscience

_**Tada! I'm back again. Thanks for last chapters reviews. I'm glad you liked it. As promised, it's time to get down to work. The team has to get in shape, along with get their first routine check up under Hina's care. Comedy abounds as off topic subjects are broached and embarrassing truths come out. But what happens when Kuwabara overhears something he shouldn't have? Cat's out of the bag! **_

_**Read and review without further ado! :D **_

_**(Scene break) **_

It was a golden morning, the very first day Hina met Yusuke Urameshi. She had exhausted herself, overcoming the first hurdles of meeting her children. Since then, Hiei and Yukina had not left her side, keeping a close eye on her as her health began to grow back to it's normal state. She exercised her healing powers, slowly coming back into her full ki. Everyday was a miracle, and she marveled over things that others might take for granted such as growing flowers or funnily shaped clouds. Genkai was very kind and had granted her a room close to Yukina's in the back of the dojo. Yukina cooked for Genkai, and Hina watched with great happiness as Yukina showed off each of her skills with pleasure and pride.

Hiei was a different matter. As the days passed, Hina learned to keep her eyes on the trees as her son often frequented them to gaze down upon her and Yukina. Hiei often napped in a particular pine tree near the south end of the dojo where a lush garden of fresh fruits and vegetables grew. Hina was almost certain that Hiei was stealing food from there, and often set out plates of dumplings, sweet rice, and wonton soup to tempt her son to travel to the surface. The plates were always returned to the steps of the backdoor, devoured and wiped clean.

After about a week of healing and relaxation, Hina and Yukina were out in the garden during a bright and golden morning, fetching fresh wasabi peas and golden pears from the garden. Hina was on her hands and knees, de-weeding the flower bed as Yukina stood on her tip toes, attempting to pluck the freshest golden pears from the top of the fruit trees. Hina noticed that from time to time, a black shadow would flit down, and a pear would fall right into Yukina's lap. She would gasp in surprise, wondering how it could be, but Hina knew the truth. She'd come to understand that Hiei liked to remain anonymous, but charitable. Especially towards Yukina.

As they worked, Hina heard a great commotion coming from the front gate, and stood up, wiping the sweat from her brow and lifting her sun hat off of her head to see who it was. Yukina, however, seemed to know exactly what all the fuss was about, and nearly dropped all her golden pears as she fumbled them hastily into her wicker basket and straightened her pony tail.

"They're here!" Yukina cried out, smiling with joy.

"Whose here?" Hina asked, setting her basket of plucked weeds down.

"Kazuma!" She seemed utterly gleeful, "And Yusuke!"

"I see." Hina thought back to Botan's explanation of the two spirit detectives, "Well then, you better get the dirt off your hands and put a flower in your hair!" Hina took a morning glory from where it grew around a youthful pumpkin and placed it behind Yukina's ear.

"Mom." Yukina fused, blushing slightly. Hina had not yet forgotten that Kazuma Kuwabara had quite the crush on her daughter... much to the displeasure of her son.

"Go, go!" Hina chided, hurrying her forward as she laughed. She headed out of the garden, quick on the heels of her daughter as Yukina ran out to the front. She smiled warmly as two men came into view, with Genkai by their side and Botan in the air overhead on her oar. Just as she had been told, one was very tall with shockingly orange hair that was clustered in thick curls. He had strong cheeks bones with a broad chest and shoulders that were clothed in a crisp blue school uniform. She knew this man to be Kazuma Kuwabara.

The other boy was slightly shorter than the first, with gelled back black hair that gleamed in the sun and a quirky smile which seemed to promise mischief and good times. His deep brown eyes were warm and kind, but they were also foreboding of a demonic presence. Hina's ki sparked in attention as she sniffed the air and smelt the try Tourin deserts of the Makai... so this boy was of the Toushin race? He certainly didn't look like it. His uniform was much like his companions, save for the fact that it was deep green and covered with dirt and scratch marks. This boy must be Yusuke Urameshi... the apprentice of Genkai and the savior of the last Dark Tournament. Hina was already impressed.

"YUKINA!" Kazuma Kuwabara shrieked, his entire face exploding into a fit of child like glee. He darted forward, dancing around Yukina like a monkey as he flexed his muscles and strutted like a rooster. Hina had to contain her laughter behind her hand, "Hey my love! How's it shaking? Like my guns? I've been working out for you baby!"

"It's very good to see you Kazuma!" Yukina laughed, blushing. "Have you heard the good news?"

"Yeah, Botan just told me!" Kazuma looked all around, excited, " So where's your mom, is she nearby?"

"Actually-" Yukina pointed over her shoulder to where Hina stood in the shade. Kazuma leapt forward, never one to waste time, and dashed forward, whipping a bouquet of flowers out from behind his back and presenting them to her.

"Oh dear." Kurama watched from the porch, slightly alarmed as a black shadow flitted down to his side. Hiei was enraged, and nearly leapt out at Kuwabara with his hands like claws before Kurama grabbed him by the back of the neck and yanked him to his side.

"I ought to cut off that ridiculous ugly head of his!" Hiei hissed, his eyes like bright flames.

"Mrs. Hina," Kazuma bowed, getting onto one knee as if about to propose to her, "My name is Kazuma Kuwabara, Spirit Detective! It is an honor to make your acquaintance. Please accept these flowers and my lover for your beautiful daughter, Yukina! I will protect her and care for her till the day I die if you give me your blessing to marry her!"

"That's it." Hiei spat, launching himself once again off the porch, "I'm going to kill him."

"Not so fast, give your mother a chance." Kurama huffed and puffed, holding Hiei tight to the floor.

"Fuck that!" Hiei spat, "Fuck all that! Fuck him!"

"Oh Hiei," Kurama rolled his emerald eyes, "You're so damn protective."

Back in the front yard, Hina composed herself just like her mother had taught her so many centuries ago, and accepted the flowers with grace and poise. Kuwabara broke into an ear to ear grin as Hina bowed to him in greeting.

"Kazuma, Kuwabara it is an honor to meet you as well." Hina smiled graciously, "I've heard a great deal many things about you, but I must say meeting you in person is much more descriptive. Thank you for the beautiful flowers. I've heard of your unending love for my daughter... I must say I approve. You are quite the gentlemen."

On the porch, Hiei was in outrage.

"The gentle- OH COME ON!" Hiei all but had a fit as Kurama held him tight. Kurama laughed gayly as Hiei struggled in vain to break free.

"Oh Hiei," Kurama laughed, "You crack me up!"

"Shuttup Kurama!" Hiei snarled.

In the front yard, Kuwabara was elated.

"Then you accept?" Kuwabara prayed gleefully.

"Gladly." Hina bowed again, holding the flowers tightly to her chest. Kuwabara sprang to his feet, hugging Hina tightly.

"Thank you!" Kuwabara danced, jiggling Hina a little viciously as he did so, "Thank you! Thank you! You will not regret this!"

On the porch, Hiei had other plans.

"Yeah, but _you _will!" Hiei leapt forward, unable to contain his rage. But Kurama was neither slow nor foolish, and he kept a firm hand on the back of Hiei's straining collar. Hiei went crashing back to the porch, unable to get farther than Kurama would allow. Out in the yard, Kuwabara, Yusuke, Hina, and Yukina were oblivious to what was occurring on the porch.

"Hiei, stop struggling, you're going to wrinkle my shirt." Kurama complained, grinning coyly as Hiei thrashed back and forth, too enraged for strategy.

"I hate you!" Hiei raged, trying to get free. The cruelties of their height differences was obvious, as Kurama kept him well under lock and key while Kuwabara celebrated his victory in the yard.

"I doubt I will." Hina smiled, patting Kuwabara gently on the arm. Kuwabara practically melted from her touch, a dopy smile spreading across his features. "And who is this?" Hina motioned to Yusuke, who threw out his chest with pride.

"So you're Yukina's mom? Nice to meet you." Yusuke swaggered over, "I'm Yusuke Urameshi, famous bad ass, and product of the mazoku. How's it going?" He threw out a hand in gesture of friendship.

"Very well, Yusuke Urameshi." Hina shook his hand warmly, supporting her beautiful flowers with the other, "I've heard a great deal many things about you too. I must say I am very impressed with your tales. You are a brave warrior. Thank you for defending my daughter." Hina bowed in gracious thanks.

"Ahh, it was nothing." Yusuke grinned, throwing a hand around aimlessly, "Why is it all the old ladies have the hots for me?" he joked.

"You punk!" Kuwabara screeched, a vein in his temple pulsing, "Don't talk like that to Yukina's mom!"

"What's your deal, Kuwabara?" Yusuke raised a jaunty eyebrow, unafraid.

"You can't talk like that to a lady! Especially a lady like Yukina's mom!" Kuwabara snorted, like a bull about to charge. Yusuke just shrugged him off while Hina kept a protective hand around her flowers. She didn't know what atom bomb might explode if the spirit detectives collided. She looked over her shoulder for Yukina's opinion, only to find that Yukina was looking up at the porch curiously. Botan and Genkai had nothing to say, as if they were under the impression keeping silent was the best way to handle Yusuke and Kuwabara fighting.

"Oh knock it off!" Yusuke flicked Kuwabara the middle finger teasingly, "I was only kidding!"

"This time you've gone too far! I won't let you talk like that to the woman I love, or her family!" Kuwabara reared back, his eyes blazing, and then charged. Yusuke had three seconds of warning before he grabbed Kuwabara by the opposite elbow and threw him to the ground where a scrimmage was pursued.

"Oh dear." Yukina made a meek noise. as the tussle continued. Yusuke and Kuwabara did double rolls and back flips, both trying to keep the upper hand, both trying to cat call at the other. Hina was reminded of the foolish behavior that boys had displayed on the outer rinks of the tournament, trying to imitate the men that they saw on the big screen. Yukiei had smacked the little boys aside, warning them to go back home to their mothers before a lackey took them seriously. Hina grimaced as she remembered how one little boy had been taken off guard, brutally slaughtered by an angry fighter who'd lost a match.

"Knock it off!" A flitting shadow dodged from the porch to the front yard as Hiei yanked Yusuke and Kuwabara apart with nimble fans, "KNOCK IT OFF! Could you try to have some composure? This sort of childish behavior will never be aloud during the tournament!"

Kurama sauntered down from the porch, the morning sun glistening off his auburn locks as he nursed a cup of green tea. "Hiei is right." Kurama warned, "We must keep our wits about us if we are to survive another go at Hanging Neck Island."

"Ah, I was just messing around." Yusuke shrugged out of Hiei's grip, straightening his green jacket and slicking back his mused hair.

"Man, I'm tired of your games." Kuwabara growled. Kurama held up a warning hand.

"Kuwabara, control yourself." Kurama reminded his taller friend.

"Sorry man." Kuwabara rubbed the back of his reddening neck with a sheepish look on his face as he dusted the dirt off his clothes.

"There is no need to apologize." Kurama waved a lily fingered hand in kindness, "Just remember in future to keep a hold on your temper."

"If you idiots would stop gossiping long enough to look around, you'd notice that your training is about to begin!" Genkai broke out, snarling. All four men looked around, too wrapped up in their quarrels to notice their surroundings.

Genkai, it seemed, had more training equipment than she knew what to do with. Hina was very impressed to see all sorts of exercising stations that were strewn about the side lawns like a psychotic jungle gym.

"Training?" Yusuke lounged, complaining, "Are you kidding me, I'm the freaking mazoku!"

"Shuttup, dimwit! Do you think that makes you a king!" Genkai snapped, her violet eyes blazing.

"Technically it does make him royalty." Kurama mumbled under his breath, sipping his green tea idly while avoiding eye contact.

"You're just as retarded, Kurama!" Genkai shouted, "So close your yaps and put up your fists!"

"This is pathetic." Hiei sneered, "I won't subject myself to your games just to satisfy you." Hiei turned away, in a foul mood as he attempted to storm off. It seemed that 'you' was the key word to set off the locomotive train that was Genkai's wrath. Without warning, she charged forward, her fist balled up and full of power. Hiei dejected her, but she bounced off the turned, churning up grass and coming back at him under lightning speed. She hit him square in the chest, yet for all his expression it seemed that he felt nothing, letting the blow slide off of him like water from a duck's back. Genkai grabbed him by the back of the neck as she slid, and threw Hiei into the dirt. A tussle ensued as the pair of them fought for dominance. But Genkai didn't seem as worried about being on top as she reached into the dirt and pulled something out of dirt. All of a sudden there was a shout as Genkai was revealed to have a sharp stick in her hand, directed right at Hiei's left eye. Hina gasped, her hand on her throat as she forced down the urge to shriek and and turn into a mother lion of rage and protection.

"You must learn to use your surroundings if you ever want to survive" Genkai shouted above Hiei's snarling. But her victory was short lived as Hiei stood up, allowing Genkai to dangle off his back, before doing a sharp twist so that she went flying, rolling off of him and into the cool sweet grass of the dojo.

"Shuttup, you miserable old hag!" Hiei snarled, brushing dirt off his jet black tunic and straightening his scarf. His foul mood was now escalated into something fierce as he gritted his teeth and cooled a pulsing temple near his brain.

Genkai grinned as she rose from the grass, two lime green stains on her knees. "I thought you would be hard to motivate. So I thought I'd bring in some help."

There was a moment of confusion that broke into an escalade of shouting as a tall woman with long brown hair and striking features came storming up the dojo stairs, a cigarette between her lips and a bull horn in her hand. Hina didn't know what was more frightening: the fact that the woman was revving and rearing to go, or the fact that she looked like a female Kazuma Kuwabara.

"GET OFF YOUR ASS, LAZY BUMS!" The woman shouted, blowing so hard on a whistle that her cheeks turned pink. Kuwabara leapt nearly a foot in the air, terrified.

"SHIZURU?" He bellowed, "You scared me half to-"

"I SAID MOVE IT!" Shizuru screeched, and without further ado the training began.

They weren't given much of a choice. Botan rounded them up like cattle from her oar while Genkai pushed them thru each training station. Even if one of the four of them slipped away, Shizuru was on top of them before they got a foot out of line, screaming at them thru the bull horn and beating them back with a well calloused fist.

"What on earth is this madness?" Hina asked, bewildered.

"This is the team." Yukina smiled happily, completely at ease with the nonsense. Hina sat down on the steps beside her daughter, smelling her flowers idly as Hiei, Kurama, Yusuke, and Kuwabara were forced thru their paces while Shizuru kept them rolling.

"Who is that woman?" Hina asked, pointing to the lady named Shizuru.

"That's Kazuma's older sister, Shizuru." Yukina explained, "She's been so kind to me. She's been like an older sister to me all this time. She takes care of me when Genkai can't... She even lets me stay at their house!" Yukina didn't seem fazed at all, picking the petals off of her little flower and smiling happily at the four boys.

"This is bogus!" Yusuke shrieked, as he was forced to do push ups while Shizuru sat on top of his back like a monkey. "I'm hardly breaking a sweat!"

"GIVE ME TENTY!" Shizuru shouted thru the bullhorn, right into Yusuke's ear.

"I just gave you twenty!" Yusuke talked back, attempting to throw her off. But Shizuru hung on tight, and just shouted louder.

"GIVE ME TWENTY MORE, DUMB ASS!"

Yusuke looked behind himself, a sheen of sweat starting to form on the very top of his brow.

"What's your problem?" He demanded. Shizuru merely smacked him lightly on the head with the bull horn, lighting another cigarette with her free hand.

"Shuttup and do it."

"They'll train well." Genkai flounced over, taking a break from the activities as Botan chased Hiei and Kurama around the yard with her oar reared back like a baseball bat.

"If they don't kill each other before they get there." Hina sighed, worried as she watched Hiei attempt to snatch Botan's oar from her only to be flown directly into a pine tree. He crumbled down to the ground, not skipping a beat as he chased after Botan with pine twigs sticking out of his unbrushed black mane.

"Do you think you're up to the challenge?" Genkai asked, "After all, you'll have to train them as much as I will. I have a feeling none of them are going to be in good physical health."

"First I have to gather my supplies again. I used to have a bag of healing remedies." Hina let out a disappointed whistle, "It was a treasure... a lifetime worth of work, wasted!"

"Not wasted!" Yukina piped up, looking delighted, "I have it! It was given to me by Rui!"

"Really?" Hina whirled around on the spot, grinning from ear to ear, "Oh, god bless Rui! Do you still have it with you?"

"I never let it go!" Yukina praised, "I'll show you!"

The three women rose off the steps ushering into the dojo, and seeking cooler shade and silence and solitude from the nonsense outside. The temple was refreshing from the dirt and the scuffling, as Yukina and Hina used their ki to gently cool off their skin. Koorime disliked the heat on base principle, but Yukina and Hina both prided themselves on being able to bear hotter weather longer than their icy blooded kin. In Yukina's quarters, her presence was evident. From the neatly piled futon mats in the corner all ranging in shades of cool blue to lush green, to the polished wood low table that held an unfinished calligraphy painting, a glass figurine of a little blue bird, and a picture of the group clustered around the doors of the temple. In the corner of the room sat an alter full of small dishes of ice and flowers that were frozen in their pots. Hina was touched to see a picture of their koorime tribe in a hand made wooden frame at the top of the alter, basking a cool light of blue flame lighting a pure white candle. Underneath the alter was an oddly shapeless lump covered in a faded white...

"Is that my bed sheet?" Hina asked incredulously as she stooped down to pull on the broadcloth. It swung free, and she flipped it out wide to observe the beautiful delicate embroidery of mountains, forests, ice, volcanoes, temples... she'd hand stitched it all during her pregnancy... Yukina had managed to save it after all these years. Hina felt like crying for joy, and pressed a trembling hand to her mouth to stop her emotions from showing. "...How?"

"Rui saved it for me." Yukina explained simply, "She said it meant alot to you."

"...God bless Rui." Hina whispered, taking a moment to compose herself before she hastily folded up her bed cloth to turn her attention to the shapeless lump- now uncovered- her trusted medical bag.

It was large and lumpy, made of a thick reserve canvas that came from medical supply tents. Full of pockets, zippers, and buttons, every storage compartment came with a new surprise. If the two wooden handles at the top were pressed just right, a spring was opened on the inside of the bag, and out spilled everything an on-the-go nurse might need. Field guides, herbal remedy books, crystals, tinctures, sterile needles, fresh gauze... so many more things that piled all on top one another like a mountain of medicine. But many of the tinctures were rotten now from time and lack of air. The entire bag stank of time wasted and mothballs. Coughing slightly, Hina dug thru the bag.

"I cultivated all of my knowledge into this bag." She explained, "Without it, I'm as good as a painter without paint. A geisha without a wardrobe. This bag is the secret to my success and it's seen more spilt blood than a hog slaughtering. Ah!" Hina pulled out a wrapped leather binding to reveal aging print, now yellow from time, "All my old notes! Yes, even my old field pen!" Hina was overjoyed as she pulled out her trusted golden ball point pen, clicking it hurriedly to see if it still had ink. Nothing came out. Disappointed, Hina rummaged even further down to feel a small leather casing. Ah! She pulled it out, spilling a couple of herb jars, and smiling in curious wonder up at the pocket knife now revealed. Genkai and Yukina both bent in for a closer look.

"Observe, ladies." Hina murmured, "A little present from your father, Yukina. This pocket knife has over _twenty eight _extensions... truly fully-loaded. Would you like to know all that it can do?"

"Do tell." Genkai looked rather impressed.

"A large blade, a small bade, a can opener, a large screw driver, a small screw driver, a phillips screw driver, a fine screw driver, a mini screw driver, a bottle opener, a wood saw, a fish scaler, a hook disgorger, a ruler, a metal saw, a metal file, a- shall I continue?" She asked, checking to make sure both women were still aware she was talking. Yukina and Genkai had looks of great surprise on their face, and both nodded raptly to show that they were, indeed, still listening, " a nail file, scissors, magnifying glass, reamer with sewing eye, corkscrew, hook, wood chisel, ball point pen, pin, toothpick, tweezers... and of course the key ring." Hina laughed at that, swinging the swiss army knife around her pinky finger by the key ring.

"Wow." Was all Yukina could manage.

"Oh yes, It was army grade too." Hina added for effect, "This thing saved my life a few times out in the open." She set it aside with care, digging down deeper into her bag, "This whole thing will have to be cleaned out, of course. Don't worry, Yukina. I know many ointments that will get rid of this awful smell. I don't know how you stood it for so long, sleeping right next to it. Smells like a rotting corpse!" Hina joked.

"Actually, I kept it because it reminded me of you." Yukina mumbled, a little embarrassed. Hina started, her cheeks turning pink. _Of course. _

"Well. Glad to know I'm a corpse." Hina grumbled.

"You're not. You have a soul." Genkai cut in. "And that makes all the difference."

"Glad to know you think so!" Hina smiled warmly at Genkai, "You know, Genkai, I think you and I understand each other perfectly."

"If only I could say the same for your s-" Genkai caught herself at the last minute, "s... s... assistants."

"Assistants?" Yukina asked, befuddled.

"Of course." Genkai nodded rapidly, clearly in a tight spot, "Too many cooks in the kitchen. If you catch my drift."

It was clear from the confused look on Yukina's face that she didn't catch the drift one damn bit, but Hina wasn't about to let _that _particular cat out of the bag. She'd need a martini and a cigarette for that.

"All of my herbs are molded. I'll have to get more." Hina quickly changed the subject before Yukina too ask any questions.

"Make a list. I'll give you the money that you can use in the village below our mountain." Genkai assured her.

"Thank you Master Genkai." Hina and Yukina bowed as one. Genkai rose off the floor, dusting off her knees and exiting.

"No, thank you Hina." Genkai gave here a wink, "We needed a healer very badly."

"Yukina, take note." Hina urged, so that Yukina tore a piece of her calligraphy paper off and pulled out the ball point pen from her late father's pocket watch. Crouched on her knees as she wrote on the floor for support, Hina watched her daughter with wonder. With her tongue poking out a little between her teeth, and her rear high up in the air, her daughter really was adorable.

"Ready, mother." Yukina urged.

"I'll need Wholefire, Aloe, Dark Balm, Strattle, Mariner, Felines-Feather, Chamomile, Cinder..."

_**(Scene break)**_

Around mid day, training broke for a hearty lunch that was followed by much complaining and sore muscles. Genkai, Shizuru, and Botan were all but ready to drag the boys back out for another go-round, but Hina cut in before the torture could commence. She'd need to start her patient files before they entered the tournament if she'd want to know how to heal them best... and besides the boys could use a break. Kuwabara's flowers sat in a well watered pot in the middle of the kitchen table; Hiei kept staring murderously at them as if they'd done him a personal wrong.

"Man I'm sore as hell." Yusuke moaned, lounging on the couch in the common room as Hiei and Kurama stretched out their sore muscles on the floor. Kuwabara relaxed in the only free easy chair, nursing his twitching calf muscles and wincing all the while.

"When did my sister get so vicious?" Kuwabara grumbled.

"Shizuru is a pain in the ass." Hiei growled. taking off his jagan's cloth, to wipe beaded sweat from his forehead. He hastily retied it back on before his mother could see.

"I think I can agree with you for the first time in my life." Kuwabara sighed from the chair.

"Thank you, lord. I hoped you'd be looking out for us. I knew you wouldn't let those two argue for the rest of eternity." Kurama muttered under his breath. Yusuke snickered.

"Ah, good!" Hina appeared from the kitchen, wiping her hands clean from washing dishes and hauling her bag behind her. She stood before the four boys, hands on her hips and a smile on her lips, "You're all here together. If I could have your undivided attention...?" There was a moment of pause as the four men stared at her, all wearing strange smiles. Kuwabara practically sat on the edge of his chair, listening raptly to every word. Yusuke on the other looked close to taking a nap until Kurama nudged him to pay attention, "As you already know, my name is Hina. I am Yukina's mother, and I'm also your new healer, appointed by Koenma. You can all trust me and put your faith in me during the tournament to keep you in good shape while you take out our enemies. If you get hurt, I'll keep you from experiencing acute pain, and help you to get back into the ring. I'm very well practiced, and I take my secrets to the grave. So any prior medical history that you might have must be informed to me so that way I can get you into top physical shape for your upcoming battles. What we're going to do today is a meet and greet, where I ask you many questions, and you give me many answers. After that, just a simple base line reading... then you're all done. And you can take naps, I promise!" Hina joked, earning a few chuckles from her little crowd, "So, who would like to go first?"

If crickets could have chirped, they would have done so. The blank stares were rather disheartening as Hina looked from Kurama, to Yusuke, to Kuwabara, to her own son, each of them looking back at her with the same expression: _Not me. _

"Kazuma..." Hina gave him an encouraging smile, "Won't you be a good sport?"

"Sure thing Mrs. Hina!" Kazuma all but sat up straight like a board, eager to impress, "Whatever I can do to help!"

Hina stood poised with pen and paper, scribbling out her basic information while she waited for Kuwabara to make the introductions. But when he failed to do so, she almost slapped herself on the forehead. _Of course... _These boys didn't know the first thing about check ups.

"What do you eat, regularly? What's your diet?" Hina offered.

"Um, let's see..." Kazuma put a finger to his chin in thought, "I eat pretty good but hey, potato chips never hurt did they? I also work out as often as possible. That's why my guns are big!" At this, he flexed his biceps, "See? Aren't they impressive?" He looked to his comrades for support. He unfortunately found none.

"For a five year old." Hiei sneered.

"Shuttup!" Kuwabara squawked.

"Hiei, if you would kindly refrain from antagonizing Kazuma?" Hina asked politely. Kazuma might not know that they were mother and son, but the expression between them was clear. Like any mother disciplining their child.

_Sit down and be quiet, or I will spank you like the heathen you are! _

Hiei grumbled, his voice diminishing to nothing, a dark look on his face as he lightly kicked out at the coffee table and rolled his ruby red eyes. Hina nodded, satisfied. Kazuma was rather impressed that Hina had effectively silenced Hiei. He would be blown away by the end of the night.

"I'm not feeling sick at all either." Kazuma boasted proudly. Hina smiled at that. How many times had she heard that out of patients, too terrified to ask for a doctors help. She thought it comical that A class demons could be petrified by a syringe, while a five year old child could handle one without a tremble. Perhaps it was gods way of putting balance into the world.

"Sometimes I take some advil for headaches and stuff like that, but besides that I really don't take pills. I drink from time to time, like Christmas and stuff. And I don't smoke though my sister does. Does that count?" Kazuma asked, worriedly.

"Of course not. Continue." Hina waved his fears aside with an idle hand.

"Oh cool!" Kazuma looked relieved, "My family does have problems with brain cell loss though-"

"Why does this not surprise me?" Hiei answered cooly.

"SHUTTUP!" Kuwabara screeched again.

"Gentlemen!" There was a brief pause.

"Any sexual activity or drug use?" Hina asked, hoping for the best but preparing for the worst. At the question, Kazuma threw out his chest with pride and broke into a wide grin.

"None! I am saving myself for my beautiful and sweet Yukina! The way that a man should!"

Fearful for Kazuma's life should Hiei explode, Hina cast a quick look over Kazuma's broad shoulders to catch a glimpse of Hiei with fire blazing in his eyes while Kurama held him to the floor and kept him quiet. Thank god for Kurama.

"I plan to marry her if you'll be obliging! You would make me the happiest man on earth if you agreed!" Kazuma fell to his knees once more. Hina's hand leapt to her throat at the sudden movement. For a second she thought the noise was Hiei springing in to attack, "I'd treat your daughter like a queen! Every day of her life, I'd work my hardest and give her every pleasure in life I could afford! Please, Mrs. HIna! Please say you'll agree!"

She looked over Kazuma's shoulder to see Hiei suffocating from Yusuke and Kurama holding him down so tightly.

"You certainly give a hard argument." Hina offered, unsure how to best answer the question, " But I feel that you should discuss this with my daughter first. Also, my son should know of your hearts true intentions as well."

"Oh yeah... That's right!" The realization dawned on Kuwabara. Hiei stopped struggling, eyes wide at Hina's request. "Then I'll find him! I swear I'll find him, and we'll be the best of friends!"

Behind Kazuma, Hiei was close to having a heart attack, and Hina didn't want to tempt fate any longer. "I'm sure you will be, but if we could get back to the discussion at hand. I feel that the only thing in need of improvement is your diet. Also, if you would refrain from drinking from here on out and please stop taking medication. You need to have a clean slate." Hina scribbled as she spoke.

"Yes ma'am! It's a deal!" Kazuma cried, rising from he knees and returning to the couch. He didn't seem to notice the large bruise blossoming on Hiei's neck from Kurama's well placed hand.

"If only ever patient was as enthusiastic as you. Yusuke? Would you like to do me one better?" Hina offered, flipping over to a new sheet of paper as she spoke.

"Eh, alright." Yusuke shrugged his shoulders, perfectly content either way, "I guess my diets all about Keiko's food. So it's pretty good."

"Keiko?" Hina asked, wondering if that was a brand of noodles.

"My girlfriend." Yusuke quickly explained, "Her old man owns a noodle shop, and she's the best cook in there."

"I see, continue on." Hina instructed.

"I'm pretty active... part of the whole Mazoku package. I don't drink and I don't smoke. If you saw my mother you'd understand why. I don't take pills. I don't have any family diseases that I know of, but we're probably all alcoholics if you ask me." Yusuke shook his head, as if disgusted, "As for sex, Hey, hey." He immediately turned comedic, "You know what I mean? Look at my eyes!" He pointed to his eyeballs, "Rollin em!" And so he did, laughing all the while.

"So is that a yes or a no?" Hina asked, completely confused.

"That's a yes." Yusuke coughed, a little embarrassed with his lack of joke appeal.

"Very good, Yusuke." Hina nodded, "I see no need for improvement, save for a broader diet. Kurama, if you'd like to continue on?" She flipped to a new page.

"Of course, Mrs. Hina... Let's see," Kurama pondered, a feminine finger to his well pointed chin," I eat very healthy. I take vitamins every day. I exercise often, I do not drink nor smoke. My family does have a history of serious health conditions on my mother's side, often brought on by stress and fatigue. As for sexual activity, right now my objectives are set on more diplomatic goals." Kurama supplied.

"Of course." Hina paused, sensing that something was slightly amiss. Unlike the other three boys who wore their hearts on their sleeves, Kurama was withdrawn. Certainly not cold, but still just as quiet. There were things deep in his heart, as deep as an ocean, and some of them disturbed Hina to think about. Feeling a little peevish, but knowing it was best, Hina quietly flexed her ki, expanding her psychic view to examine Kurama's energy radius. It was a deep green, lush and vibrant. She could sense the presence of something powerful and violent near the back of his head, and wondered what it could be. His wrists were the same way, and his hands were practically black for being so dark green. But there was a paleness near the chest that Hina did not like to see. Snapping back into focus, she pursued the question, "Kurama, how many hours of sleep do you get at night?"

"Perhaps five?" Kurama offered.

"Try and make that eight." Hina nodded.

"I'm afraid it's impossible with my schedule." Kurama shot down, giving her a polite smile.

"I see.. And what is your schedule." Hina wanted to be exactly clear why Kurama's health came second to a social life.

"Well, being the valedictorian comes with it's challenges." Kurama sighed, rubbing his forehead as if he had a headache. Judging from the pale color of his ki, she sensed he was possibly suffering from one.

"What good will being the valedictorian do if you're too tired to enjoy the perks?" Hina attempted to corner Kurama to see reason, but the fox was slippery, and his levels of consciousness were astounding.

"The perks do not interest me." Kurama explained.

"They why be a valedictorian?" Hina asked, slightly confused.

"... For her."

Something about Kurama changed. Raising her ki again, Hina saw to her surprise that where the pale color once had swirled now a deep pink was beginning to rise, thick and warm like a blanket on a terrible stormy night.

"Her?" Hina asked, quite intrigued now.

"My mother." Kurama chuckled gently, "My human mother. She is the light of my life"

At this, Hina cast a quick glance at Hiei, touched, "It's very refreshing and soothing to see such a kind son."

Kurama shrugged, not all that impressed with his morality, "In my previous life, I only knew kindness once. I lost it, and I never recovered from the pain of that blow. She helped me with that ache."

"I hope you didn't loose that kindness thru foolish pride." Hina asked, slightly worried. Men often made mistakes like that in the fit of anger or a short emotional havoc.

"No." Kurama paused. It was clear to Hina that each word seemed to cause him great pain, "I lost him to death's arms."

Behind Kurama, Hiei shifted uncomfortably on the floor. Yusuke and Kuwabara said nothing. It was clear that whatever their sexual beliefs or preferences, Kurama was above the rule and they would not show disrespect.

"... Was this a lover?" Hina asked, a little fearful of crossing a line.

"...Yes." Kurama finally admitted after a bitter silence.

Hina sighed, thinking of her own tragic fate, and how it had once interlocked with Yoko Kurama's. What advice could she give him, when she too had suffered from her own mistakes in love... when death had taken away the only man indespencible to her.

"Try not to loose yourself in the past. Look to the future for hope and kindness. You will see him again someday." Hina felt better saying those words. Kurama's watery smile seemed to solidify the feeling.

"I see him everyday, Hina." Kurama whispered. Worried of causing him pain, Hina raised her ki in an attempt to sooth Kurama's own energy. What she saw startled her. Unseen with the naked eye, a ghostly image of a man with jet black hair and a swinging red pendant kept firm watch over Kurama. With arms draped around Kurama's neck, the phantom cast Hina a wary eye. Silently, the ghost seemed to say _'I shall not fade'. _

Unwilling to pry any further, Hina withdrew her ki. She wished she could have unseen the phantom. It had frightened her.

"I didn't know you were into guys, Kurama." Yusuke spoke up from the couch. It wasn't a condescending voice. It was the voice of a friend.

"I'm not into anything, Yusuke." Kurama managed to say thru a tightened throat. There was a moment of silence once more before Hiei spoke up.

"Kurama..." Kurama looked around to meet Hiei's eyes, "There's not a man without scars on his heart. And if such a man did exist, he would be a shallow soul." _**(Note: This is an actual Hiei quote on this particular topic. I did not make that up. It came from the YYH movie after Kurama is tortured with Kuronoe's phantom) **_

Hina was touched once again. "...Hiei... I believe it's your turn."

Hiei said nothing, allowing Kurama to regain his composure before he spoke up.

"I eat what I find. I'm always on the move. I don't take medication. I drink what I want when I want. I smoke what I want when I want. I don't feel sick... I don't have any family." Hiei did not meet Hina's eyes on that last particular phrase. Hina wanted to scoff at him, but kept her composure.

"...And your sexual behavior?" Hina tempted, rather interested. Hiei blushed, growing irritable.

"I do not see why that is anyone's business." Hiei grumbled.

"Humor me." Hina grumbled back.

"... Yes. I am." Hiei finally spat out.

"What?" Kuwabara demanded, "Shortie's getting some! Whose doing the shorty?"

"Attempt to control yourself." Kurama sighed, rubbing his temples again.

"I'm serious!" Kazuma muttered, "Who could love such a-"

"I said it wasn't any of your business!" Hiei snarled, giving Kuwabara an angry look from the floor. Kuwabara paused, slightly deterred.

"I bet your just lying to sound manly!" Kuwabara tempted. Hiei did not take the bait.

"That's enough you two." Hina warned, for what felt like the thousandth time. No wonder Kurama always had headaches. "Boys... We're going to have to work together if we're going to make it thru the tournament. I've done this game before, and trust me, the foes aren't getting any easier to beat. They're taking drugs, pumping their powers, trying to trump you in every way that they can. But they have nothing on you compared to my formulas. I'm going to assign you all a health drink beneficial to your needs. Take it with green tea after supper before going to bed. Be sure to get plenty of rest, and follow Master Genkai's orders. Remember, I'm not going to give you bad advice. I'll be honest with you if I think something isn't working. But I promise you that your health after my work will be ten times greater than it was before. I use all natural herbs, not pills or potions. I don't agree with Rx science. It's foul and condoning... Now in exchange for my help, I need you to help me help you. Do you understand? I know that you're four boys in your prime of life, but please try to refrain from drinking, smoking, eating bad foods, and using drugs. They may be the difference between life and death in the tournament."

She paused, squinting at strange marks on Yusuke's neck. "What are those abrasoins on your neck?" Hina asked, scooting forward to get a better look.

"Hey!" Yusuke clearly did not like his space getting invaded, "Uh... those are shaving burns!"

Hina stepped back, her lip curled in dark amusement, "You shave your neck?" She voice dripping with sarcasm.

"...Don't question my meathods." Yusuke snapped, popping the collar of his jacket and shifting his eyes.

"Get back over here!" Hina yanked him close, examing the raised lumps. But there was little reason to worry. "Ahha."

"Don't judge me!" Yusuke shrieked.

"Don't lie to me." Hina snapped, letting go of him, "Why not just say that they were hickies and be done with it?"

"YOU'VE GOT HICKIES?" Kazuma all but bonced in his chair with laughter.

"SHUTTUP!" Yusuke whined, his manhood insulted.

She was perfectly content to go on with the discussion when she noticed a small trail of gauze slipping out of Hiei's cloak.

"...What is that?" Hina asked, pointing to Hiei's boot where the gauze could be seen. Clearly embarrassed, Hiei snatched it up. But the damage was done.

"No, no, let me see that!" Hina demanded, stepping forward and pulling at the clasp of Hiei's cloak, "What's going on under there?"

"I don't need a doctor!" Hiei snapped, trying to get away. Kurama moved out of the way as Hina pulled Hiei off of the couch. His cloak slipped to the floor from her tugging to reveal his right arm heavily bandaged. Her heart leapt into her throat.

"Why is your arm bandaged?" Hina demanded, fear filling her heart.

"It's nothing." Hiei tried to shift away, growing pale and sweaty. Hina would not let him go, pulling his arm closer for inspection.

"Really?" She scoffed, "Looks quite tight to me! What are you trying to heal? A wound? An infection?"

"No." Hiei tried to pull away again but she wouldn't let him be, "I-"

"Let me see-!" Hina tried to get her fingers under the bandages, but all at once Hiei leapt away as if terrified, clutching his arm tight to his chest.

"NO!" He screamed. For the first time in his life, Hina could hear the fear in his voice. Behind him on the couch, all three of the boys had suddenly rose out of their seats, their hands out in front of them as if a bomb was under Hiei's bandages.

"Please don't eat me, please don't eat me." Kazuma whispered under his breathe.

"Don't unbind it or it'll kill you!" Hiei snarled.

"Kill me?" Hina demanded incredulously with her hands on her hips, "What kind of a wound are you hiding?"

"It's not a wound!" Hiei spat, "Its a... Well... It's a..."

"It's a what?" Hina snapped, "Gang green? Diabetes? An atomic bomb! What?"

"...Dragon." Hiei mumbled, fear in his voice. Hina scoffed, now so lost she couldn't have found her way with a compass and a map.

"A dragon?" Hina sneered, thinking it all a joke to try and get her off his scent. "What kind of dragon lives under a bandage?"

"... A Dragon of the Darkness Flame."

Hina felt all the blood drain out of her face as a tidal wave of horror and squealing hysteria broke over her consciousness. She never knew it, but she was already gone. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head as all her nightmares seemed to come true, and without warning she passed out into utter blackness.

_**(Scene Break) **_

" DRAGON OF THE DARKNESS FLAME? DRAGON OF THE DARKNESS FLAME? THE SINGLE MOST DESTRUCTIVE CREATURE IN ALL OF SPIRIT WORLD AND YOU PUT IT ON YOUR ARM?"

She'd been aroused from her fit on the floor to dismiss the boys. Her fuse was short, and it was clear she was a ticking time bomb. Yusuke and Kuwabara had left only when they were content she would be fine in Kurama's care, making their way outside only to get swept up in another round with Shizuru. But that was many hours ago, and now Hina had found her voice again. Alone with Hiei and Kurama in the kitchen she paced back and forth furiously while her son looked ashamedly at the floor. And damn right he did!

"It seemed like a good idea at the time-"

"YOU ARE AN IDIOT! YOU'RE JUST LIKE YOUR FATHER! ACT FIRST THINK LATER! YOU SWEAR THAT YOU ACT ON GOOD CONCIENSE AND THEN YOU GO AND DO SOMETHING STUPID LIKE THIS! WHAT KIND OF AN IDEA WAS GOING THRU YOUR HEAD? DID YOU THINK THIS WAS GOING TO GIVE YOU AN UPGRADE? YOU'VE SHORTENED YOUR LIFE SPAN BY AT LEAST FIFTY YEARS! YOU'VE BROUGHT ETERNAL STRESS AND DAMNATION UPON YOUR BODY"

"Hina-"

"AND DON'T GET ME STARTED ON WHAT YOU'VE DONE TO YOU KI!"

"Hina-!"

"EVERY ENEMY OUT THERE IS GOING TO USE THIS AGAINST YOU IF THEY FIND OUT WHAT IT'S DONE!"

"MOTHER!"

Hina fell silent, shocked that Hiei had called her by her proper title. Hiei took a moment to make sure she would not loose her temper again before carrying on.

"I have not only used the Dragon. I've eaten it. I've become it. I am the Dragon of the Darkness Flame. My ki is so great that I must contain it under binding. If I were to open it, it would doom us all. I haven't shortened my life. I've lengthened it." Hiei paused, smiling with pride.

Hina paused, trying to digest such an enormous amount of information.. He'd done what? He'd... eaten...? "...No one in the history of demon world has ever..."

Kurama finally spoke up, smiling fondly, "Hiei is the first. We are all very proud of him."

Hina fell into a chair, her head in her hands, "...My god... My son. The darkness... I remember Yukiei talking about the dragon once. It was revered in a beautiful temple in the Western part of the home lands. I remember men tried to tame the dragon-"

Hiei broke in at that. It was clear the subject was his soap box, "Fools. Pathetic fools. You cannot _tame _the dragon. Countless centuries of pathetic men who attempted to conquer it as if it were a common house pet. Only I have had the strength, the courage, and the resolve to become the dragon... and master it's technique."

Hina thought that thru. What an enormous burden on her sons shoulders! Could he handle it? Would he need help? Who could he go to for help?

"I can't say that I'm happy but... I am proud, I admit. But Hiei, how can you be sure that it will not revolt on you and kill you?" Hina asked, fearful.

"I can't. But that's part of the picture, and I accept it." Hiei answered it as simply as if he was talking about the weather.

"...How did you manage to ... eat the dragon?" Hina asked, slightly nervous to what the answer would be.

Hiei grinned wickedly. "It was delicious." He smacked his lips obscenely.

"... I'm worried about you." Kurama grumbled, not batting an eyelash.

"Here's the deal. I found something worth fighting for... and I'm not letting it go. I'll never go back to mindless killing and slaughter. Never. I've been shown a better way to live." Hiei explained, rather proud with himself. He even smiled, which Hina had come to understand was rare.

_If I didn't know better... _Hina thought _I'd say that's the work of woman. _A sudden strange leap of jealousy filled her heart. What woman would dare attempt to woo her son? What hussy would have the nerve-?

Kurama was laughing.

"What are you laughing at?" Hiei growled.

"Something tells me you're talking about Mukuro." Kurama teased lightly.

"Mukuro?" Hina asked at once, "Whose Mukuro."

"Damn you to hell, Kurama." Hiei cussed, shuffling his chair so that way he wouldn't have to face his mother.

"Whose Mukuro?" Hina demanded loudly, "That's a rather bizarre name if you don't mind me saying so! _Walking corpse? _What kind a parent names their child that?"

Hiei rose up without another word, shocking the pair of them by walking out of the kitchen and slamming the door behind him.

"Hiei!" Hina was slightly outraged, "Where are you going! Get back here when I'm talking to you!" She followed out after him, leaving Kurama sitting at the table, still chuckling uncontrollably.

_**(Scene Break) **_

"Goodnight Yukina!" Kuwabara called out from the lawn as Yukina brushed her hair in the window of her bedroom. He blew her a kiss, "Sleep tight my love!"

"Goodnight, Kazuma!" Yukina waved fondly, "Tomorrow, mother and I are going to the market! Won't you join us?"

"It would be my pleasure baby! I'll buy you whatever you want!" Kuwabara added.

"Get some sleep, Kazuma! Your love is the greatest gift of all." Yukina smiled warmly.

"Night!" Kuwabara bounced off on his toes, enthused. "Man, my baby loves me!" He cheered himself on as he walked around the side of the dojo, "It's all but set in stone! I can't believe her mom's back! I'll have to dress up suave and look my best to impress! I can't fail!"

"Hiei! Get back here!"

Kuwabara halted in his tracks, crouching down low behind a ginku bush, "That's Hina's voice!" Kuwabara looked around the bush, curious.

On the porch of the dojo, Hiei and Hina were squaring off, clearly rattled by each other.

"Mukuro is an off limits subject." Hiei warned. "She's... She's just off limits, okay!"

"Why?" Hina demanded, "I'm your _mother, _I have a _right _to know!"

"WHAT?" Kuwabara gave away his hiding spot by his screech.

"What the-?" Hiei looked over Hina's shoulder, confused. Kuwabara and Hiei locked eyes. "SHIT."

"Mother?" Kuwabara squeaked, unable to digest what that meant, "She's your mother?"

"Kurama!" Hiei shouted as he dove for Kuwabara. A mock fight ensued while the pair of them scuffled in the dirt. Kurama came running out of the dojo, confused. Hina pointed to the brawl and the dog pile was on as Kurama clamped a firm hand around Kuwabara's shrieking pie hole.

"Shh! Shh!" Kurama urged, "Hush! Stop screaming!"

"What the hell?" Kuwabara shrieked, "Was I the only one who didn't know this?"

"Come inside!" Kurama begged as he and Hiei wrestled Kuwabara off of the ground and back onto the porch.

"Let me go!" Kuwabara screamed as if he was being attacked by a great white shark.

"Shuttup and come inside before you wake up Yukina!" Kurama snapped, his patience growing thin.

"No way man!" Kuwabara shrieked, "If Hina's his mother-" Kuwabara faced Hiei with comprehension dawning on his horrified features, "Then... Then that means... That means... HE'S YUKINA'S-!"

but the last word never came to fruition. Hiei grabbed Kuwabara tight by the neck, pinching a vital nerve and sending Kuwabara crashing to the floor as he blacked out.

Hina, Kurama, and Hiei stared at Kuwabara who laid in a puddle at their feet, all three of them shocked.

"... Close his mouth before someone comes by and puts their dick in it." Hiei cursed, storming back into the dojo and slamming the door behind him.

Hina closed her eyes, desperately trying to blot out that mental image.

_**(End chapter) **_

_**Authors Note: hahaha I am merciless. I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter and liked the comical scenes. I tried to make it funny and hope I succeeded. Uh oh! Now Kuwabara knows the truth! What's going to happen when he wakes up and has to face the facts! Oh dear! Reviews are love... flames are ticklish. **_


	7. Buson and Bui pt 1

_**Hello everyone! :) I'm glad that people are liking the chapters, and I hope that you will enjoy this chapter as well. Last update we got to see just how hectic and random the life of the YYH cast can be when they're getting ready for the tournament. It ended in a frightening note, with Kuwabara finally revealed to the truth, just as he was when Genkai passed over in the last tournament. Remember when he punched Yusuke in the jaw? This chapter is going to be rather sweet... also, there will be a sexual scene. So, be warned, and beware. I hope you enjoy this chapter! The plot is about to thicken! **_

_**(Scene Break) **_

"Why did you take so long?" Kurama demanded, yanking Yusuke up the dojo steps and throwing him thru the front doors. It was close to two in the morning, and no one had gotten a wink of sleep save for Genkai, Yukina, and of course Kuwabara. This was not by choice. Hiei had literally cramped Kuwabara's neck nerve, sending the red headed giant crashing to the floor. Then again, perhaps it had been necessary at the time. God forbid Kuwabara had kept on shouting and screaming.

"Shuttup ass hole!" Yusuke was disheveled, and his shirt was three buttons up from the correct holes, "You interrupted something very important!"

"You can get lucky another night." Kurama condescended, "We've got a crisis!"

And so they had.

Kurama took Yusuke thru the front doors, moving him thru the house with a firm hand on the wrist.

"What?" Yusuke demanded angrily, "Did Kuwabara start his period or something? I've got other things to do, you know!"

Kurama whirled around his red hair fluffed with static anger. His emerald eyes glared daggers into Yusuke's confused brown.

"He found out." Kurama ground out.

"Found out what?" Yusuke threw up his hands.

Kurama did nothing but stare angrily. Yusuke wracked his brain. What did Kuwabara not know that everyone else did?

"What?" Yusuke asked again, still thinking. What did Kuwabara not know that ... everyone... else... "...Oh God..."

"Crisis." Kurama confirmed with a firm jerk of the head. The pair of them surged thru the darkened rooms, careful not to knock over chairs or brush off blankets and pillows. Incense dulled out in it's holder, so that the issue of smoke finished off with a tiny _hiss... _They entered into the common room, to find Hiei and Hina on opposites sides of the fire place where dying embers were crackling in a soothing manner.

"What did he do when he found out?" Yusuke asked in low tones as they approached Hiei and Hina.

"He flopped all over the deck like a fish, screamed as if we were raping him, and tried to run away as if we were Toguro. It was a nightmare." Kurama grumbled, rubbing the back of his sore neck. He was underneath too much stress for his own good, and he sorely missed the massages Kuronoe used to give him. If only Koenma could have reincarnated _him... _No! Kurama shook his head. He couldn't think like that. Kuronoe is dead. That was the end of the subject.

"Did he get away?" Yusuke asked.

"No." Kurama assured, "Hiei pinched his neck nerve and he dropped like a stone."

"Hows Hiei?" Yusuke murmured.

"Please, as if this could phase him." Kurama grumbled, "You underestimate Hiei."

"Yeah, I guess that was a stupid question." Yusuke admitted, "Hey man!" They'd reached Hiei and Hina. Yusuke slapped Hiei on the back fondly, "What's going on? I heard the bigs news."

"I don't give a damn." Hiei growled, not meeting Yusuke's eyes.

"Give me a kiss." Yusuke leaned down, licking Hiei up the side of his cheek. HIei made a retching noise, shoving him off angrily, "So what are we going to do, hot stuff?"

"Poor Kazuma..." Hina shook her head sadly, pulling her needle and thread tight as she worked with a ratty and disgusting blanket.

"Shit, mom," Hiei cured, "Don't call him that! It makes me want to throw up!"

"Then throw up!" Hina scorned, "It would do your filthy mouth good! Who taught you to cuss like that?"

"The bandits who raised me, I guess..." Hiei thought on that, confusion on his face.

"Mm mm mm." Hina shook her head, moodily.

"What are you even doing?" Hiei demanded, thrusting a hand at the nasty blanket in her hands. Kurama sat down next to Hiei on the couch, pouring himself a cup of soothing green tea and offering one to Yusuke as well.

"I'm fixing blankets that were Yukina's and yours. They are in dire need of repair." Hina added for effect. Yusuke could not help but agree. They looked like something a homeless person would snuggle up to.

"God, don't you have anything better to do?" Hiei complained.

"So what are we going to do about Kuwabara?" Yusuke demanded.

"It's none of my concern." Hiei shot down, his eyes dark in the embers.

"It isn't?" Yusuke's voice turned thick with sarcasm, "That's so queer. I could have sworn you were Yukina's brother. Must be my mistake. I apologize."

Hiei turned around, slowly, facing Yusuke dead on so that their noses were almost touching. Neither man backed down.

"... You want to find out how hard I can bite?" Hiei growled. At their distance, Hiei could lunge at Yusuke and tear out his eyeball.

"Is he still out?" Yusuke changed topics at once, sensing danger.

Hiei sat back in his chair, moodily, "Oh trust me, he'll be out all night."

A noise could be heard coming up the hallway. A shuffling of feet.

"Shh!" Kurama hushed at once. Everyone looked around, fearing it would be Kuwabara. But they were all relieved to see it was only Yukina dressed in an ankle long white night gown. Her long aquamarine hair was braided down her back, slung over her shoulder in sleepy work. Yukina yawned, rubbing her ruby red eyes tiredly.

"What's going on?" Yukina asked, her voice soft and sleepy.

"Nothing, Yukina.." Hiei called back, just as soft, "Go back to bed."

"I just wanted some water..." Yukina paused as she retrieved it from the kitchen. "Oh mom?"

"Yes, dear." Hina called back.

"I invited Kazuma to join us tomorrow when we go to the market. Is that okay?" Yukina asked hopefully.

"Of course, sweetie." Hina smiled tenderly, "Go back to bed. You look tired."

"Goodnight, mom." Yukina walked back down the hallway. vanishing from sight.

"Goodnight, love." Hina murmured as she continued to work on the blankets, patching up small holes around the center as she worked toward the edges.

Hiei sighed, nursing a cup of warm sake, "I'm too old for this shit."

"Stop cussing." Hina demanded, "I think this is a perfect opportunity for Kazuma and Yukina to bond.

"Stop calling him that!" Hiei demanded right back, "He's a cretin and a worm, and I'll kill him if he even looks at her the wrong way!"

"...Down, Kujo. Down." Kurama chuckled, finishing off his cup of green tea and refilling it.

"Heh, you know it actually fits." Yusuke joked in agreement.

"We should buy him a spiked collar." Kurama joked back, and the two of them broke out in chuckles.

"What are you talking about?" Hiei demanded.

"Ah, it's nothing." Yusuke shrugged Hiei off, "But how is Kuwabara going to be able to go to market and not keep his mouth from flying off?"

"I trust him." Hina didn't look up as she spoke.

"Well I don't." Hiei shot down.

"I do." Hina warned.

"I don't." Hiei shot down again.

"I don't care!" Hina's eyebrows were in danger of hitting her hairline.

"I do!" Hiei snapped.

"I'm lost." Kurama rubbed his forehead, unable to follow the line of conversation.

"Look, there's nothing that can be done right now if the idiots asleep. When he wakes up, we'll deal with it then. For now, I'm heading off." Yusuke rose back off the couch, slamming his cup of green tea down.

"Where are you going?" Kurama demanded, incredulous.

"To boink my girlfriend!" Yusuke cursed, making obscene movements with his hips. He slammed the door behind himself.

"Crude, isn't he." Kurama grumbled.

"That's a mental image that I don't need." Hiei shuddered, as if it was sickening him.

For a moment there was silence as Hina sewed and Hiei drank. Kurama watched the pair of them thru sleepy green eyes. Slowly... very slowly... he felt himself falling into a stupor. He relaxed on the couch, letting his feet prop up on one end as he rested his head on the other.

"Hiei?" Hina spoke up, her voice delicate, "Why don't you and Kuwabara get along?"

Kurama found himself listening only partly, very tired.

"Eh..." Hiei looked away, "I hate Kuwabara."

"But why?" Hina asked, setting her sewing down.

"He's an idiot." Hiei scoffed.

"Why?" Hina asked again.

"...Because he believes in fairy tales, and romance, and love." Hiei grumbled.

"Don't you?" Hina asked.

"I'm not an idiot." Hiei answered.

"That's not what I asked." Hina murmured.

Hiei sighed at that, "I've never heard a fairy tale I believed. As for romance and love, they're strangers to me."

"Don't lie to your mother." Hina resumed her knitting as she grumbled, "Weeds will grow out of your ears. If you didn't believe in romance and love then who is this Mukuro you talk about?"

There was a long pause as Hiei finished his cup of sake.

"...She's the love of my life." Hiei finally answered.

"Wow." Kurama murmured from the couch, shifting to get more comfortable in his sleep.

"She is." Hiei murmured back.

"Where did you meet?" Hina asked.

"Work." Hiei answered shortly, "Mutual acquaintance. It doesn't matter... What does matter is that we found each other. Somehow... We found each other." It was clear to Hina and Kurama that Hiei was slightly drunk. Careful not to draw attention to himself, Kurama drew away the sake pot from Hiei so that he couldn't reach it without moving right over Kurama.

"What does she look like?" Hina asked.

Hiei shifted in his seat, reaching into his cloak to withdraw a sweaty parchment that was folded several times. He handed it to Hina with a loose hand. Hina opened it, confused, to see that it was a picture of Hiei standing side by side with a woman that could only be described as macabre. She was lithe and bony, with hardly an figure. Her face had hard features. Half of it was covered in a nasty and bloody cloth with wires sticking out. She looked like a corpse risen out of the grave. Hina could only imagine how she smelled, acted, or talked. But strangely enough, she and her son were arm in arm, laughing and smiling at each other as the showed the camera the slain heads of their enemies. They were frightening, bloody, disgusting... but utterly in love. That much was clear.

"She is... Unique. But lovely too." Hina added, not really meaning it. She wished heartily that Hiei would leave Mukuro alone and find a nice... clean... girl.

"Let me see." Kurama asked. Hina thrust him the picture, and Kurama looked at it, squinting in the slight dark, "Yeah, that's Mukuro alright. How cute, you two are sharing dinner."

"I will kill you." Hiei growled.

"Of course, Hiei." Kurama smiled, handing Hiei back the picture, "Of course."

They were lost, late into the night. Hina watched thru motherly eyes as both Hiei and Kurama drifted off to sleep. As soon as she was certain that neither boy would rise, Hina rose up, leaving her knitting on the chair. She fetched two blankets from a tall cabinet full of spare linens. Throwing the last of the green tea on the dying fire, blackness consumed the room with a sharp _hiss... _and there was no more.

_**(Scene Break) **_

The morning dawned bright yet grey on Genkai's dojo. The wise master was deep in prayer as her guests rose around her. Yukina was out in the garden as soon as she woke, weeding and planting like always as she listened to the morning song of the birds. Hina was cleaning up the kitchen, washing empty tea cups and plates from lasts nights dinner. Kurama called his mother, alerting her that he would be coming home promptly, and left without another word. Hina watched him go sadly, wishing that he could have stayed longer. She enjoyed his company. He was, perhaps, more mature than the rest of them put together. Hiei woke up with a grunt, nursing a harsh headache. Hina made him a quick remedy, and he took it gratefully. He washed, himself in the river outside, for which Hina was eternally grateful. He was beginning to stink.

After he bathed, Hiei spent half an hour pacing out in front of the door that held Kuwabara. On the inside of the door, Kuwabara was wide awake and had been since five that morning. Breathing slowly, knowing that he was trembling, Kuwabara tried to think of anything, anybody... but his thoughts always drifted back.

"...How could I have been so stupid... Everyone else knew except for me... they always leave me out of things because they don't trust me. No one ever trusts me because they think I'm stupid. That's all I am to them, a big stupid idiot. And my sweet Yukina... the twin of Hiei? How the heck is that even possible? They... They're the exact opposite. It can't be... It can't." Kuwabara shivered as he spoke aloud. He hated being left out. Being considered the idiotic one. But it seemed that it happened more than often. He recalled with sickening ease how horrible it had felt to be left out about Genkai's death... how the rest of the team had been to ashamed to look him in the face when they admitted their lies.

Kuwabara let his head drop to his knees, closing his eyes against the light of the garish day. Normally he liked the morning. He liked to see a new day dawn, considering it a new day to prove himself as a man... but today he wanted the sun to go back down. To never rise again. Today he would have to walk into the common room of the dojo, face the rest of the team, and pretend that he didn't care... Pretend that it was nothing.

Out of no where there came a knock on the door.

"Go away." Kuwabara croaked, wiping his eyes quickly with the back of his hand.

Kuwabara knew that the door would open, because that was the kind of team he frequented. They were in each other's business with no reprieve. No privacy at all. And so it did... he wondered who would step inside.

Hiei came thru the door, closing it gently behind him with a soft click. Kuwabara and Hiei stared at one another, wide eyes meeting calm red ones. Kuwabara took a shaky breath, his worst nightmares coming to life as Hiei tilted his spiked head, looking Kuwabara up and down as if for injury.

"... I'm sorry for taking you down last night." Hiei spoke after a few more minutes hesitant silence, " I hope your head doesn't hurt."

Kuwabara blanched.

"Kinda." He admitted, his voice weak.

The pair of them stared at each other for a few more minutes as Kuwabara swallowed down the fact that Hiei had actually apologized to him for something. When had Hiei ever been one to apologize... ever been one to offer help? Hiei hated friends. He hated the team. He was a constantly angry, constantly vicious, little tyrant. Kuwabara felt a wave of anger and hateful hurt spill over his soul.

"Everyone knew except for me." Kuwabara whispered, his voice venomous.

"Yes." Hiei did not deny the truth. His voice was calm... almost monotone.

There was so much that Kuwabara wanted to do, wanted to say. So many angry and hateful things that he could no longer suppress. Unable to control his building rage, Kuwabara leapt from the bed, clambering over the room and slamming his fist into Hiei's jaw. It was like the fight with Bui. For all the punching, Hiei didn't budge a bit.

"Why?" Kuwabara demanded, shouting.

Hiei cracked his jaw back into place with a sickening crunch. With that same calm voice, Hiei carried on.

"Yukina."

The name was like a cooling rage to the angry, hateful fire in Kuwabara's soul. At once, a rush of strange relief fled thru him as her heavenly face blossomed in his inner mind... Yukina... The most beautiful sounds in a single word...

"...Your... sister." Kuwabara whispered, still trying to swallow that awful pill.

"Twin sister." Hiei corrected gently.

"You're her brother." Kuwabara pinched his eyes shut, as if that might help, "How...?"

Hiei shrugged, not too bothered, "How indeed, but here I am."

Kuwabara looked Hiei up and down, trying to see Yukina in Hiei's features. It was strange... In some places he _could _see her. Her eye color obviously. Perhaps he could see it a little in his jaw... maybe in his height. No. It was too hard.

"... Is that why you hate me so much?" Kuwabara whispered, his voice thick with emotion. They could no longer deny their past interactions... could no longer put aside the problems the pair of them had made for each other. Hiei though that one over.

"... I don't hate you." Hiei finally admitted. "I like you. Maybe so much that I hate you. I admire how you see the world, full of hope and possibilities. Not everyone can do that... I know I can't. And I know that you love my sister, and I respect that. I know you'd never hurt her, or make her cry. That makes me feel..." He paused, searching for the right words," Like she's in good hands. And the way you treat my mother is so nice that it's sickening. Sometimes I want to kill you because you keep this optimism and sense of honor about you. I didn't have that at first... but I've learned it from you..." Hiei tried to give him a smile. He failed, but the fact that he tried gave Kuwabara a sense of comfort. "... Kuwa-" Hiei snorted, "Kazuma. There's something I need you to understand. You can never tell Yukina that I'm her brother. You have to let me be the one, when I'm ready... And by the way." Hiei fixed Kuwabara with a look of irritability, "the reason why I treat you badly isn't because I hate you. It's because I know you can do better. If I hated you, I'd kill you. Do you understand?"

"...For the first time... Yeah." Kuwabara even managed a small smile. The pair of them faced each other, two men from completely different pasts... now with a similar future.

"Good." Hiei jerked his head, "Because I'm not going to say that again. Tell that to anyone, and I'll kill you."

"You got it." Kuwabara chuckled.

Hiei stooped down, grabbing Kuwabara's wrinkled shirt from the floor and throwing it at his head, "Put on your clothes. We're going to the market in thirty minutes."

"You too?" Kuwabara asked.

"Me too."

_**(Scene Break) **_

"Thank you boys!" Hina smiled up at the blazing sun overhead, "I really appreciate this."

The market place at the base of the valley was full of livelihood as men sold their wares and animals bayed in their troughs. Hina had opted to wear a sundress that shone brightly in the daylight with hues of yellow and green. Yukina followed suit, a sunhat on her head that was as wide (in Hiei's opinion) as a school bus. But she loved it, and that was all that mattered. All of them carried baskets, and Hina had even taken a cart from an elderly man with a toothy grin. So the four of them made down the midway, passing booths selling livestock, herbs, fruits and vegetables, soaps and perfumes, even swords and talismans. Hina was ensconced with it all, rushing from one vender to the next, wanting to see, touch, and smell before the next person. Hiei and Kuwabara tried to keep up, tripping over other shoppers as Yukina squealed and cooed at the animals on display.

"It's no problem, Mrs. Hina!" Kuwabara cried out cheerfully as two elderly women with shopping bags swatted at him to get him to move out of the way.

"Oh Kazuma!" Yukina cried out, "Look at all the flowers!"

"Remember, Yukina, we have to get all the things on the list!" Hina warned, "Where's Hiei?" She called out, searching over her shoulder for her son. The man in question had his hand in a fishbowl, trying to snag himself a quick lunch before the vender realized what he was doing to his merchandise. "Hiei!" Hina snapped, "Get away from there!"

"But-" Hiei complained, still hungry.

"Now!" Hina warned, "And push this cart!" Hiei grumbled but obliged, shoving the cart along with a growling stomach, "Now, Yukina... look here because this is important." She got her daughters attention, shoving them into an herb venders stall to peer over a rosemary bush, "How do you tell a good herb from a bad herb... Not the color, not the shape... Not the root or the leaf... the smell. Take your pointer and your thumb, rub the leaves of this rosemary." Yukina did so, "What do you smell?"

Yukina brought her fingers to her nose, sniffing delicately, "Nothing!" She cried out.

"See?" Hina smiled, " Now smell this one." She passed Yukina a short shrub that looked a little unhealthy. Yukina smelled it, and smiled at the result.

"Wow." Yukina was clearly impressed.

"You see, nature has it's own calling card." Hina joked, "Smell is more important than sight. We'll take seven!" She called out to the vender, who obliged at once.

Several stalls over, Hiei was being jerked around the elbow by Kuwabara who wanted to pester the vender of a sword stall.

"Oh cool man!" Kuwabara wielded a fake sword with ease, "Swords!"

"More like kitchen knives." Hiei scathed, "Don't you have anything real?" Hiei demanded to the vender, who was a slob of a man with messy auburn curls and a fattened stomach that threatened to knock over his cashier register.

"They are real!" The man snapped, "I made them myself!"

"Liar." Hiei called out at once, "Unless your name is... Made in China?" Hiei cat called, reading the inscription at the base of a sword. The man turned purple with embarrassment, "The blade is loose from the tang!" Hiei added, shaking the sword so that a rattling could be heard, "This thing couldn't open a letter. Come on." He took Kuwabara by the upper arm and dragged him away.

They passed a vender selling pretty stones.

"Hey!" Kuwabara tried to break free, "I could get that for Yukina!"

"Or you could save your money and use it for something useful... like a better haircut." Hiei jaded.

"Yeah, yeah." Kuwabara smiled, "I know your goat now."

"God have mercy." Hiei grumbled under his breath, moving them along.

"...hey." Kuwabara stopped dead in his tracks.

"Hey what?" Hiei scathed.

"Do you see what I see?" Kuwabara was grinning like an idiot. Hiei followed his line of sight to see a vender at the far end of the midway selling pets.

"No." Hiei tried to move them along but Kuwabara was rooted to the spot.

"Yes." Kuwabara argued. Hiei gave him a hard glare.

"Hell no." Hiei added for effect.

"Hell yes." Kuwabara grinned even wider, surging forward so fast that Hiei lost his grip and had to follow suit.

"What are you going to do?" Hiei sneered, "Buy her a cow? What are we going to feet it? Where are we going to put it?"

They were in the stall in no time, moving from one cage to the next. A pair of love birds tweeted merrily in their cage at the visitors.

"Look at the birds!" Kuwabara was ecstatic, "She loves birds!"

"God almighty." Hiei cursed under his breath.

"Come on, man..." Kuwabara's voice turned soft, "She's your sister. You know how much she loves birds."

Their eyes locked, and Kuwabara's gaze softened Hiei's scorning.

"...Alright." Hiei grumbled, "I'll bite. How are you going to afford them?"

"I have enough." Kuwabara boasted, moving up to the vender who was an elderly woman with long ringlets of grey. "I'll take those birds please!" Kuwabara pointed to the lovebirds.

"The lovebirds?" The woman smiled, glancing at the cage, "A very wise choice young man. They're healthy and sweet natured. For yourself or for a loved one?"

"My girlfriend!" Kuwabara boasted with great pride, "She loves birds."

"Very good, then." The lady smiled as she rang up the price, "4935 yen."

Kuwabara's face fell at the price as he dug thru his pockets, "Woah." He seemed rather blown away, "C'mon... C'mon..."

Hiei rolled his crimson eyes. Kurama had leant him quite a considerable amount from his enormous wealth... but he'd told Hiei to use it in emergencies only. Perhaps this was an emergency. God forbid Kuwabara not get his precious Yukina anything she desired. The world might very well end.

"How much are you lacking?" Hiei asked as Kuwabara shoved all his money on the countertop. Kuwabara sighed, distraught.

"... 1625..." Kuwabara's face fell into a gloomy pit of despair. It was clear to Hiei what had to be done. Hiei reached into his back pocket, pulling out his own broken leather wallet. He laid down entire price in full.

"Woah." Kuwabara's eyes popped out of his head at the crisp yen.

"We'll take food too." Hiei added, "And toys. And a better cage than that." Hiei scathed for full effect.

"Very good." the cashier laughed gayly as she pulled the entire stock together. The birds twittered gleefully as they were transfered into a new cage with shiny toys and fresh food.

"Don't think that money's mine." Hiei jested at the bug eyed look on Kuwabara's face.

"You didn't steal it, right?" Kuwabara checked.

"Kurama gave it to me." Hiei explained, "Thought I'd need it for food. Fool." Hiei scoffed. As if he would ever buy a meal. He could have had a healthy breakfast five minutes ago if his darned mother hadn't drug him away from the goldfish. They were given the entire purchase in a wide basined cart so that the birds sat comfortably. Hiei placed them in the cart where they twittered with joy at their newfound home.

"What shall you name them?" The vender asked with a gentle smile.

"That's up to her." Hiei growled.

"Her?" The cashier asked.

"My si-... His girlfriend." Hiei changed sides quickly to stick to one story.

"Enjoy your purchase, sirs." The cashier laughed as Kuwabara played with the birds, cooing at them impishly.

"Oh man!" Kuwabara grinned like a fool, "I can't wait! I can't wait!" He dashed off with the cart, shoving the birds along so that they cheeped in surprise. Hiei remained behind casting a wary eye at all the animals on display. Cats, rabbits, chickens, frogs, fish.. even a goat in a corner that gave Hiei a terrified glance.

"Are you interested in an animal sir?" The woman asked.

"I'm a man on the move." Hiei tried to brush her off but the woman would not let him leave.

"Hmm... Let me see your palm." The woman offered. Hiei obliged, rather put off as the woman scanned his sweaty palm as if looking for a clue.

"... You are from a place far away." The woman began, "You have an honorable goal... to seek justice in the world. You love a woman... no... you have a woman in your heart. I'm sorry, this part of your palm is very confusing." She cast him an apologetic smile, "You love a woman, and she is in your heart always. How sweet... You have a sister, and a mother. You have three friends that are like family. They're in your family line in any sense. But still you are lonely... often you think that you cannot be touched by happiness. How very sad." Hiei wrenched his palm away, blushing furiously.

"Does this have a point!" he scathed, "I have better things to do that listen to you prattle on!"

"... It's tough to be alone in the world. To feel like no one loves you selflessly. But there's a remedy I think you should try." The woman came around from the counter, showing him the way to the back of the shop.

"I'm all ears." Hiei sneered.

"A dog." The woman said simply.

"A what?" Hiei paused, taken aback.

"...Come with me." The woman urged, gently. Hiei followed her to a darkened part of the tent where whimpers could be heard. At the very end of the shop was a cage full of puppies that wagged their tails and yipped happily at the presence of the two humans. Hiei's eyes widened.

"Dogs are a different kind of animal." The cashier soothed as she picked up a puppy and nuzzled him close, "They stay with us constantly... we're the ones who walk away. But they just wait for us, and when we return... they act as if we never left." She smiled as the puppy licked her face, "They love us no matter what. We take it hard each time we fail... but dogs love us just the same. You see, in my opinion, God made dogs to reflect a part of him that no anger or hatred can touch. Unselfish love." The woman gave Hiei a sweet smile, "In our human frailty... we can't match their love for us."

She laughed, "I'm sorry, I'm rambling on again."

Hiei was silenced by the woman's kindness. She'd touched him, and she didn't even know it.

"No." Hiei shook his head, "Don't be."

"Look, see?" The woman handed Hiei the puppy so that he had to take it. It wriggled in his arms, licking his chin gleefully and wagging his stubby tail. It wore a stupid smile that reminded him of Kuwabara.

"...How much...?" Hiei asked.

"I saw what you did for your friend back there. That was really nice of you." The woman took the dog away at Hiei's silent request, putting him back in the cage with his siblings.

"How much." Hiei repeated.

"Free." The woman smiled, "Free to a loving home... If you're up for it."

Hiei was surprised. He looked down at the cage, and stared at all the puppies who wailed and leapt up on the wire, hoping he would pick them. Hiei wondered how he should pick them.

"How do I pick one?" Hiei asked.

"Close your eyes." The woman suggested, "Bend over. Which ever one leaps up first... take that one."

Hiei closed his eyes gingerly, not used to following a strangers commands. But this woman was different, and she reminded him of his mother in many ways. Bending over, Hiei stretched out his arms and waited. What if a dog didn't pick him? Did that mean that he could never be loved-

Without warning something sprang into his arms, licking and wiggling. Hiei opened his eyes surprised to see a black puppy grinning at him from ear to floppy ear. Hiei straightened up, holding the dog close.

In Hiei's life, he had stared into the eyes of many people. Most of them had been filled with hate. Some had been filled with kindness... One or two had been filled with love.

None had ever been filled with joy.

But this dog's eyes were as bright as beacons, full of excitement, glee, pure and undeniable joy... joy that seemed to scream out _'I'm so glad you're here'. _Joy that promised a lifetime of more joy... joy that never seemed to end.

Hiei did not know how long he stared at the dog, watching it's happy features melt with contentment as it snuggled into his arms and loved him tenderly. It had only known him minutes... yet it already loved him.

"... Love at first sight." The woman smiled wearily.

"You think so." Hiei tried to jeer, but his voice failed miserably. He simply couldn't be angry with the dog so happy to be in his arms...

"I know so." The woman confirmed.

For a minute Hiei held the dog close, smelling the strangely comforting stink in the nape of his neck. The dog snuffled, looking back up at Hiei with joyful eyes.

"Buson." Hiei murmured.

"In loneliness there is joy too." The woman added the final verse, "An autumns eve... An excellent name for a companion. Buson."

_**(Scene Break)**_

Yukina was overjoyed with the birds.

"KAZUMA!" She cried aloud as she pampered him with kisses on the cheek, "I love them! They're adorable! Oh thank you! Thank you!"

Kuwabara had a hard time getting words out over his crimson blush and kept stuttering as steam all but shot out his ears. Hina smiled, glad to see him finally getting some of the affection he so clearly deserved. It seemed to her that the people who associated themselves with the group often thought of Kuwabara as a foolish joker. Yet Hina knew better. Kuwabara was no fool: he was a man... For all his faults and flaws.

"She kissed me!" Kuwabara finally squealed, blood nearly shooting out of his nose at his happiness. The birds chirped, slightly alarmed.

"Calm down!" Hina urged as they exited the market together. Hiei was yet to return and Hina worried a vender was soon going to find many of his fish bowls empty. "You're upsetting the birds... Where on earth is Hiei?"

As if summoned by her words alone, her son appeared thru the thinning crowd, clutching a bundle to his chest. Hina worried that her fish premonitions had come true until she realized Hiei was holding a small dog whose pink tongue was hanging out.

Hina smiled tenderly. It seemed that Hiei had made a purchase along with Kazuma.

"Oh Hiei!" Yukina beamed, "How sweet!"

"Hey, you got a puppy?" Kazuma looked a little confused at first, but grinned all the same, "Cool."

"Yeah. So." Hiei tried to jest, but failed. Hina made a close inspection of the dog, tickling the top of his black fuzzy head and giving him peppering kisses on his forehead.

"So what's his name?" Hina asked. "Terror? Killer? Bloodbath?"

"...Buson." Hiei admitted gruffly, clutching the dog close.

"Buson." Hina repeated. "A good name... Well, we better get back to the temple. It's almost noon and I'm sure you boys are hungry."

The four of them made their way all thru town, pushing their cart along. The birds cheeped merrily, twittering around the cage. Buson licked Hiei's chin, barking at passing dogs and nuzzling Hiei in the crook of his neck. Kuwabara and Yukina strode arm in arm, laughing at the sun and enjoying the afternoon together. As they exited the town square and came to the base of the dojo steps, Hiei realized they might be in over their heads. How were they going to get a cart up all these damn steps?

"We've nearly got everything on the list." Hina huffed as she attempted to heave the cart up the hill. "But there are a few more things we'll need to get in demon world."

"I can get it for you." Hiei seized a corner of the cart, yanking it up. Kuwabara took the other end while Yukina got the final corner. "I'll travel there myself."

"Is it safe?" Hina asked, wiping the sweat away from her brow.

"Is it safe?" Hiei demanded, agog, "Is it- No, woman! Demon world is never safe! What kind of a question is that? Were you born in demon world or not?"

"Alright, alright." Hina grumbled, "No need to get hot with me. I just want you to be safe when you travel."

"I've never heard of a travel that was safe." Hiei grumbled right back, "Besides all you want are house hold herbs. I can get them at any market in demon world... and more." He added.

"More?" Hina demanded.

"I can get you the high quality stuff." Hiei huffed and puffed pushing the cart up as hard as he could. "The stuff only top fighters can get their hands on."

"I'll stick to non Rx thank you. Don't underestimate them. I grew up on ice avenue without a dime to my name... we made plenty a remedy off of aloe and chamomile. Believe me when I say that I know the value of an herb!"

"Oh come on." Hiei groaned, "Broaden your mind!"

"Hiei, I have dead, alive, and all that lays in between. My mind is broad." Hina jeered, much in the tone of her son.

"True that!" Kuwabara joked.

"If you can get those things for me, I would be truly grateful." Hina finished, pausing in her hoisting to wipe sweat from her brow again.

"Consider it done." Hiei nodded, " I have to travel there soon anyways."

"Why's that?" Hina asked. Hiei paused, a slight blush creeping up his cheeks. Buson yipped, wagging his tail.

"...Mukuro."

_**(End Scene) **_

_**Authors Note: I'm going to leave the last part of the chapter out, so that way it can be read with or without the adult part. I will include it in the next chapter (will be up sometime tonight) along with the ending of this chapter here... We leave on a cliffhanger, next chapter! Wee! **_

_**Just a few side notes: When the shop keeper was talking to Hiei, a lot of her dialogue came from the song "Dog and God" by Wendy J Francisco. I recommend you listen to that song to get the full feel of the moment. You can find it on Youtube! **_

_**Reviews are love, flames are ticklish. Let me know how you like the chapter! **_


	8. Buson and Bui pt 2

_**Yes yes, I know, you hate me for cutting off the chapter. But here is the second part. This part does have sexual interaction in it. Read at your own risk. Don't get pissy with me because you can't hear the word 'penis' without blushing. Honestly. You're all a bunch on ninnies! jk. **_

_**On with the show... and at the end of this... A PLOT TWIST! **_

_**(Scene Break) **_

The night of his departure Hiei made his way with Buson tucked under his arm to the darkest depths of the forest surrounding the dojo. Around him, the whispers of the forest slightly unnerved him as animals played their lullabies and demons cackled in their hiding spots. Hina traveled only a few feet behind Hiei, unwilling to part with him. Hiei found his warp spot almost too soon. He tucked Buson tight under his cloak, smiling down fondly at his newfound companion. Buson grinned sleepily, slowly closing those joyful eyes that gave Hiei so much hope of his own. He prepared his sword for combat, pulling it out from it's sheath just in case someone vile would be waiting on the other end.

"... Be safe on your journey..." Hina whispered.

Hiei nearly jumped from shock as he whipped around. His mother smiled sadly, her hands clasped before her and her eyes morose. It was clear she did not want him to depart. But Hiei couldn't stay a minute longer. He needed to get back. He needed to see Mukuro. In the light blue light from the portal, Hina looked aging and pale. She shivered in the cold of the night.

"I will." Hiei promised her with a slight nod.

"Feed Buson well." Hina added, "I want to see him twice as big when you return."

"I will." Hiei repeated. He turned to jump thru the portal-

"HIEI!"

Hiei looked around at the cry to see his mother pale and withdrawn, her entire face terrified as if something horrible was waiting on the other end of the portal.

"What?" Hiei asked, slightly worried.

"... Come back soon?" She begged.

"As soon as I can." Hiei assured her.

"...Goodbye son." Hina whispered.

"Goodbye, mother." Hiei whispered back. Before he could change his mind or loose his nerve, Hiei took a breath and leapt thru the portal, the wind whistling and stinging his ears. He could feel the other world slipping way, tearing him away from his mother, his sister, his friends... but a whole new world was waiting on the other end, and he knew that he had to reach it... because on the other end...

...She was waiting.

_**(Scene Break) **_

He landed on the marked ground, coughing slightly in the rising dirt. Lightning crashed overhead, and Buson yipped in alarm. Hiei soothed him at once, ruffling his black fir gently. Hiei took a great sniff, feeling all the old familiar joys tingling once more in his hands and feet. Demon world was like a charge to his inner battery, and he rejoiced at the feel of the static in the air, the blood on the tip of his tongue. He could taste her now, like a child could taste summer. He could feel her near, like a guardian angel... But a very evil one.

There were voices on the wind that threatened him from staying too long at the portal. Passing thru with ease, Hiei stood up tall and looked around.

The demon world was just as it had been when he left it. Pinkish skies full of black clouds that were soaked in lightning and thunder, high green trees where vultures stood watch over rotting corpses. Screams haunted the air. Laughter tasted the wind. The entire place was like a sick lullaby for a demons child.

Hiei loved it.

Moving forward at great speed, he past thru the forrest, splashing in puddles of fresh spilt blood and grinning as the lightning flashed overhead. Finally, he was close to her. Close to everything she stood for. She was a drug to him... a terrible, wonderful, no- good drug that would cost him everything. He would gladly give it all.

The centipede wasn't hard to find. Once Hiei could hear the crunch of it's thousands of feet, he followed the commotion to the source to find the blazing beetle charging it's way thru the forrest. How he loved the centipede... like a roller coaster from hell with bloody heads on spikes outside the windows and black fog drifting from its cavernous mouth.. it was heaven. Hiei charged forward, leaping from tree to tree with such spirit that Buson yipped in time with his steps, eager to see what all the fuss was about. With a final bound from the pushing tree tops he leapt for the open mouth which was the front door. Guards armed themselves, sensing his presence surge forward. When he landed in their midst, they were just as shocked as they were pleased.

The whole front cavern was bathed in blood red light from thick lamps on either side of the heavily gated door. Demons of the highest class stood at watch, hitting their breast plates with spiked hands as Hiei passed among them, a way to salut a higher warrior or officer.

"Hey, look who it is!" A young recruit called out with happiness. He even gave Hiei a wave, his bloody horn shining in the light.

"How's it going, Hiei!" Another guard gave him a broad grin, blood showing thru his chopped teeth.

"I'm alive, aren't I." Hiei gave them a friendly snicker.

"Glad to hear it." The bloodied guard moved forward to unlock the front door for Hiei to pass. His enormous girth swelled a little, sweaty and filthy from hard work, "You back for good this time?"

"As if." Hiei brushed him off. "Where's Mukuro?"

"Upstairs in her study room." the guard gave him a knowing wink which Hiei ignored. He traveled thru the unlocked door into the gloomy halls of the centipede, passing rows of guards as they stood at their posts.

"Salut for Hiei!" Some guards brought their hands up to their foreheads. Hiei ignored them, though not thru unkindness. He was close... so fucking close.

He surged up the stairs, taking them three at a time, more eager than ever... She lay only floors away! She lay waiting for him. He shivered as a warming sensation swept over him. She knew he was near. She knew, and she was ready for him. Ready for his plans, his anger, his snide comments. Ready for them all. She and only she could understand him. Understand the evil that rocked his soul like a mighty wave from a foul ocean. She and only she could even begin to touch the depths of his rotted soul and make him feel whole again. When they were dead, they would dance on each others graves, bathed naked in the icy moonlight, cackling at the insanity of the world...

He'd reached her floor. Two guards stood before her study chambers, glittering in their honors. They saluted him, knowing why he had returned. Knowing why she needed him so desperately. She was the queen, wearing disguises... he was knight, full of surprises.

Hiei touched the cold door knob, feeling it's icy smoothness under his palm. Buson whimpered, slightly off put. Hiei shushed him, and opened the door.

For a minute there was only blackness, as a tiny pin prick of light loomed in the utter gloom. A candle, nearly down to the wick, burning alone. A woman, haggard and metallic, clicking and whirring as she poured over images of bloody, decapitated soldiers... intestines spilling out of bodies... children without their limbs. Mothers without their wombs. Her play time fantasy.

But the minute that the door opened, everything changed.

She looked to him, her eyes locking on his own, and she toppled over the chair as he kicked the door shut behind him. She advanced on him like a lion to the kill, leaping into his arms and biting him firmly on the nape of his neck. What happened next required leap year vision to see. Where clothes went, no one could tell. A puppy may or may not have hit the floor, wagging his tail happily as he burrowed himself in Hiei's shed clothing. It was pitch black as the candle went out, and they kissed feverishly, cold metal on heated flesh. They toppled on the table, macabre pictures spilling to the floor as Buson squirmed merrily in the chaos, yipping for attention. They crashed off of the table, unable to keep still long enough to hold their balance. In the darkness they succumbed to one another, the sexual desires of a woman and a man overcoming their normal instincts as Mukuro spread her legs, and Hiei lost himself to the passions of his loins.

_**(Scene Break) **_

The pair of them lay on the floor, their flesh barred to the world as Mukuro rested her head on Hiei's chest. He shivered, the cold air stinging his loins fresh from their feisty pursuit.

"We don't make love." Mukuro panted, clinging tight to him for warmth, "We fuck. Mercilessly."

"I do believe my dick is dead." Hiei grinned, his eyes closed lazily as he traced patterns into her mutilated flesh with sticky fingers.

"No it's not." Mukuro grinned evilly, "I can bring it back to life."

And so she could. She was back on her feet before hiei could comprehend her words, straddling him and grinding feverishly into his worn flesh. Hiei hissed, arching his back and gritting his teeth as he tried to control himself.

"Wait-"

But there were no more words as with a twist of her hips and a gasp from his lips, Hiei slid home and the entire battle began again.

_**(Scene Break) **_

He couldn't see. His lust had turned him blind, and his heart pounded feverishly in his chest. Somehow in the following chaos they had found themselves on the bed instead of the floor, the sheets ripped off and a pool of their sins confessing underneath their hips. Mukuro seemed satisfied, but she couldn't move from her spot, with Hiei still wedged deep inside of her, her slick walls calming and soothing him deep into the night.

Hiei went in and out of sleep, unable to keep conscious with so much of his energy lost.

"You're exhausted..." Mukuro whispered, stroking his head gently. "What's going on?"

"So much..." Hiei whispered back, closing his eyes and nuzzling into her breast as he breathed her scent in... his drug. "So much, Mukuro. I feel like I haven't slept in a year."

"Demon?" She asked.

"No... Family." Hiei explained.

"Your sister?" Mukuro asked.

"...My mother." Hiei felt her tense up, "Koenma reincarnated her."

"What the fuck?"

"My thoughts exactly." Hiei agreed.

"He brought her back?" Mukuro asked, shifting in the darkness, "But... But how?"

"Same way he brought back Urameshi, I guess. She's staying with my sister. She's going to heal the team in the upcoming Tournament." He held Mukuro close, "Is it okay... If I don't talk."

"Lay still." Mukuro held him tight, overwhelmed by the news, "Lay still and let the world be."

(Scene Break)

The next morning dawned only too quickly to find two sore lovers entangled in one another's arms. Somewhere in the night, Buson had crawled up in the bed, now snuggled between them like an infant, warmed by their bodies and the thick blankets. Hiei opened his eyes blearily, amazed that he was covered by a blanket. Mukuro lay beside him, propped up on multiple pillows and stroking Buson merrily.

"Good morning." She smiled at him.

"Mm..." Hiei shifted so that the sun wasn't so blinding. "Go away sun. Leave us to our own devices." But it was pointless to try and get back to sleep. He sat up, sighing.

"Worried." Mukuro stated.

"Endlessly." Hiei agreed.

"Don't be." She nipped him playfully on the ear. "Not when you're with me."

"I have to go to the market. Would you like to go with me?" Hiei asked.

"Sure. Why not." Mukuro sat Buson down. "By the way, cute dog. Didn't even see him last night... what's his name?"

"Buson." Hiei smiled, rubbing the dog playfully. Buson nibbled feverishly on Hiei's hands, full of puppy energy. "We should get moving."

Mukuro rose up, completely naked. Kicking off her covers, she strode across the room, her hips swinging seductively and awakening Hiei's loins from their brief slumber. Had anyone ever told her just how round and plump she was? Just how perfect and supple her flesh could be?

"What?" She asked, looking over her shoulder to catch him staring.

"Looking at your butt." Hiei didn't even bat an eye, fine with the truth.

"Stop." Mukuro grumbled, yanking on a shirt and searching for her pants, all the while giving Hiei a marvelous view of her posterior.

"Fine." Hiei shrugged, standing up and grabbing pants of his own. As Mukuro shifted on her own, she caught sight of his nude form, smiling slightly.

"What are you looking at." Hiei asked.

"Your dick." Mukuro didn't bat an eyelash.

"Please, keep on." Hiei grinned lazily.

"Conceited ass hole."

"Ah but you like it. I'm not too bad looking am I?"

"You're a dick."

"I won't argue. Let's go to market."

_**(Scene Break) **_

They found a market with ease, the Centipede left to it's own devices as Hiei and Mukuro went on foot. Buson was with them, wagging his tail and licking both Hiei and Mukuro's was funny to compare a demon market to a human one, and Hiei found that there were very few differences, save there were less soaps and stones, and more weapons on display. There were certainly no animals, but a few slaves were chained miserably to a fence where a trader sold them off one at a time. Venemous plants oozed toxins from their pots and man eating vegetables hissed and snarled with contempt. Hiei passed thru them all carefully, his eye on the watch for an herb station. He found one soon enough.

"Hey I know you!" The vender grinned lazily, "You're that dragon man... What can I do for yeh..." She was a thin and lanky woman with fangs that dripped down to her chin and breasts that sagged to her waist.

"I need a few herbs." Hiei read them off to her, "Shiso, Perilla, Mitsuba, Daikon, Kabocha, and Shishito."

"Sounds like you're getting ready for the tournament." Hiei nodded jerkily.

"That's right." Mukuro growled, "Now hurry up about it, we don't have all day."

The woman stiffened, slightly intimidated by Mukuro's profile. But she hassled up just as much. Soon the herbs were ready, in a thick canvas bag that Mukuro slung over her shoulder.

"That'll cost you 2953 rupis." the woman waited with her clawed palm outstretched.

Mukuro tossed a ruby onto the countertop the size of a tangerine. The woman stared at it in wonder, picking it up and gnawing on it as if that would prove it was real. She settled for it, nodding to signal the deal was complete.

Stalking off with their purchases, the pair of them made their way thru the market, passing the slaves with wary eyes. One of the women caught Hiei's eyes. She licked her finger and tentatively touched her nipple as if hoping that might pursue him to buy her. Hiei shivered, looking away. Some things simply could not be unseen.

_**(Scene Break) **_

"Going already?" Mukuro frowned sadly. Hiei had only stayed for a day, packing up his newfound herbs and keeping Buson close. Mukuro could sense that something was deeply troubling Hiei... Something that Mukuro could not touch without crossing over her own lines. Some might insist that Hiei could tell her everything... but that wasn't true. Hiei held secrets even from her, tight to his chest even as he rocked her into oblivion with their love making.

Hiei smiled. "I have to." Hiei lied. "These herbs have to go soon."

"... I guess so." Mukuro lied back.

The pair of them stared at one another. Mukuro felt slightly used, as if she were a whore at his disposal only for pleasure too soon cast away for better times. Mukuro looked out her bedroom window, staring at the darkened sky so full of thunder. What she wouldn't give for a blank window into his own mind... What would she see there? Plateaus of blood? Rivulets of red? She imagined she was there already, lost deep within his subconsciousness.

"Where are you?" Hiei whispered into her ear. The pair of them rocked one another, arms spooning and chests sighing as one. "Where have you wandered off to."

"...I'm far away." Mukuro whispered. "I'm far far away..."

"As am I." Hiei added, biting her tender ear lobe so that she hissed with pleasure. "Soon to be lost out in a maddening sea of darkness."

"Don't tease me." Mukuro insisted.

"Oh but I can't help it." Hiei grinned mischievously. "Can you imagine us now? Underneath the earth and lost for all time... our flesh rotting... our bones breaking... our teeth gnashing at the inhumanity of it all..."

"Paradise." Mukuro whispered.

"One day..." Hiei promised, "One day you and I shall rule the damned..."

Mukuro did not know how long she stayed there, shivering as Hiei's arms slowly pulled away from her. At some point in time she felt the air around her grow icy cold. And then, blackness.

She turned around.

Hiei was gone.

_**(Scene Break) **_

"You're back!"

Hiei trudged up to Genkia's dojo, bag in hand and heart heavy. He felt like a piece of shit. He was a piece of shit. He hated leaving Mukuro. He hated even having to say goodbye. Goodbye was the worst word in the universe. It needed to be banned from the japanese language.

Hina was the first one down the hill, running at top speed and throwing her arms around Hiei. Hiei smiled wearily at the force of impact and Buson yelped cheerfully.

"I missed you." Hina's voice was thick and full of tears. "I missed you so much... I couldn't have you back soon enough." She pulled back, wiping hasty tears from her eyes as she grinned gleefully. Unable to resist herself, she gave her son another hug.

"Easy." Hiei joked. He pulled away, and gave her the herbs. Something felt wrong, and he couldn't shake the feeling he was being watched. "Let's get back to the dojo."

The pair of them moved up the steps quickly, Hiei constantly looking over his shoulder. Soon they were in the guarded gates and Hiei made sure to double lock the door. Hina didn't seem to notice, just happy to have him back. Yukina was waiting for him on the dojo steps, broom in one hand and a love bird on her shoulder. The bird tweeted merrily.

"Hiei san!" Yukina bowed in greeting, "Welcome home!"

Hiei smiled wearily.

"It's good to be home." He answered, stepping up inside the cool dojo and setting the herbs down. Hiei still could not shake the feeling that something was terribly wrong, and as soon as they were inside, Hiei locked the door. Yukina noticed.

"What's wrong, Hiei san?" She asked.

"... Nothing, I-" Hiei shivered, an ominous apprehension looming over him. "Has anyone been to the dojo today?"

"No one." Yukina answered, still confused, "Why, what's wrong?"

"... Go to the center of the house." Hiei advise, "I sense something drawing closer. Something... Something bad."

He shivered, unwrapping his jagan and allowing it to spread it's lens wide. Yes! He could feel the vibration of an all too familiar energy surrounding him. But he couldn't put his finger on it's owner. It felt ominous but... not threatening. It felt like a stranger who'd known him all his life. A devil with a cured temper. An angel with a bitter mouth. Who... Who?

"Mail call!" There came a pounding on the door and Hiei jumped.

"... We get mail?" Hina asked, curious.

He shivered as a lone sweat drop trickled down his face.

"No." Hiei whispered. "We don't. Everyone get back."

Hina was quick to respond. She grabbed Yukina as fast as lightning, pulling her into the next room where they both crouched behind the bar in the kitchen, peering around it in terror. Coming out of her meditation room, Genkai unwrapped her pruned fists, charging them with old familiar power that gave Hiei confidence. Drawing his sword slightly, he pursued forward, his hand on the doorknob. His jagan warned him that whatever lay on the other side... whoever... it was the source of his ominous feelings.

Hiei threw the door open wide, gagging at the sight he saw.

A tall man with shockingly light blue hair stared back at him, wrapped in the robes of a priest. He was shabby but not poor. He was bathed but not clean. He wore a strange smile, his forehead marred by a terrible wound that seemed to have healed well thru time.

It was Bui.

_**(Scene End) **_

_**What the hey? Tumbledum... lol. No one's going to mind that cliffhanger right? Hope yall didn't mind the adult scenes. This is my first time writing one and I don't know if I did it good enough. Maybe it takes time? Read and review! :D **_


	9. Black Bombs

_**Sorry for the cliffhanger. Lol. Okay, here we go... the last non- Dark Tournament chapter! By the end of this one, we'll be on the docks about to board the ferry to Hanging Neck Island! Woohoo! Are you ready? I SAID ARE YOU READY? REVIEW IF YOUR READY! lol. **_

_**(Scene Break) **_

Bui stood before Hiei just as tall and as broad as he'd ever been. Hiei shivered in anticipation of the fight that was surely minutes away from happening.

"...Hiei..." Bui had the nerve to smile, and kindly at that. Hiei couldn't keep a muscle in his jaw from jumping with anger. Bui had picked the wrong day to start a fight.

"I came here with a warning." Bui spoke up at long last.

"You think you can scare me?" Hiei snapped. "If you'll remember, I won the last round."

"I remember." Bui smiled fondly, as if those had been happier times, "I assure you I'm not here to fight."

Inside the dojo's safe confines, Hina, Genkai, and Yukina all crouched behind the bar, fearful.

"Who is that man?" Hina demanded in an angry whisper.

"Be quiet!" Genkai hissed.

"No! I need to protect-"

"Hina, listen to me, that is a very powerful very dangerous fighter that lost to Hiei in the last tournament. He may have revenge on his mind." Genkai snapped, nearly loosing her calm. She need to pull herself together. She needed to keep a level head. But what if Bui had gotten stronger? What if Bui had come demanding a rematch? Would her dojo even survive?

Outside the dojo, Bui smiled calmly down at Hiei. Hiei grimaced, unable to tell whether or not the son of a bitch was lying. There came an abrupt crashing in the bushes and Hiei's hand flew to the hilt of his sword, certain it was an ambush. But out of the bushes came Kuwabara, twigs sticking out of his orange girls and an angry frown upon his face.

"What you do want, Bui?" Kuwabara demanded. "I could sense your energy from sixty miles away!"

"...Kazuma Kuwabara." Bui turned slightly, bowing as if in respect, "I sensed you following me thru the city. I hope I didn't trouble you. I came here to warn you that the new tournament committee is going to attempt to set you up."

"Like last time?" Kuwabara demanded, coming round Bui to stand next to Hiei as if they were partners in a grand heist. Hiei would never admit it, but he was grateful for Kuwabara's support, even if he was a clumsy idiot.

"Much worse, I'm afraid." Bui shook his light blue head, "This time it's not a matter of money. It's a matter of revenge."

"Revenge?" Hiei repeated.

Inside the dojo, Hina's eyes widened fearfully at the word.

"The man whose organizing this tournament is a millionaire. Just like last time... but I'm afraid that this time he's not just a stranger with cash to burn." Bui explained.

"Who is he then?" Hiei demanded.

"...Gonzo Tarukane."

Immediately, Hiei and Kuwabara gagged, looking at each other for reassurance and support. Inside the temple, Hina felt the tremors of her daughter, and looked down to see Yukina pale and deathly quiet, her eyes quite suddenly hollow of life and hope. It was as if someone had sucked all the joy out of the room, and Hina squeezed her daughters arm comfortingly. She'd heard that name somewhere... but where...

_Yes! _She thought abruptly... _From the dream! I dreamed that name! _

"That can't be right!" Kuwabara shrieked angrily, "We killed him! He's been dead-!"

"Evil never dies." Bui cut Kuwabara off. "You and I know that well enough."

"Clearly." Hiei scathed, "You're still here."

Bui fixed Hiei was a strangely sympathetic look. Long gone was the killer Hiei had faced the first time. Now there was only a man who saw the world for what it was... and accepted it flaws and all. It was a rather shocking turn around.

"...Gonzo Tarukane is going to attempt to kidnap you." Bui informed.

"Me?" Hiei demanded, "Why? What need do I fulfill?"

"He is under the impression you can make very rare stone. Stones more rare than the hiroseke. Something called.. a 'Black Bomb'." Bui explained. But he'd only created more questions than he'd answered.

"And how did you come across this information?" Kuwabara demanded. "How do we know you're not setting us up yourself?"

"Tarukane sent men to attempt to recruit me in a kidnapping heist against Hiei. I found out what I needed from his thugs, and then I killed the men who came for me... and I came here to report to you before you walked into a trap." Bui explained. "I assure you, I would never set you up."

"How did you know where to find me?" Hiei asked, warily.

"I knew that you would be in Genkai's company. I came here to inform her, but I see that you were here already. Perhaps it was destined." Bui raised up a hand to the heavens, as if in salut.

"I don't believe in destiny." Hiei scoffed.

Bui smiled again, as if he was apologizing, "I know. Neither did I before we battled... before I lost. Well." Bui sighed, smiling at the beautiful dojo, "I suppose I should leave this place. It's sacred ground, and who am I to trespass." Bui shifted his enormous worn cloak aside to pull out a black tape. He handed it to Hiei, "This is for you, Hiei."

"What is this?" Hiei asked, taking it gingerly as if it might explode.

"The information my recruiters gave to me. I hope that it's enough to prepare you for what's awaiting you at Hanging Neck Island. If you ever... you know..." Bui tried to search for the correct words, that small smile still on his face, "... Need a friend-"

"I've got friends." Hiei growled.

"...I understand how you feel." Bui added softly, "I know how it feels to be tested with no reward. But now I've accepted God and I feel his presence always. It's my journey now to discovered life after death." Bui explained.

"Say on this property long enough and you'll complete it." Hiei warned.

"It's time for you to leave." Kuwabara added.

"...Goodbye Hiei. Kazuma Kuwabara. I wish you the best of luck." Bui bowed himself out, turning his back without fear and vanishing into the woods, his broad figure strangely silent in the underbrush. For a long time, Hiei stared at the spot Bui had once vacated, feeling hollow and morose. Bui had found peace. When would he find his own?

Clearly never if Tarukane was going to kidnap him.

Kuwabara was on the move faster than Hiei, bolting thru the doors of the dojo and searching for a tv thru the rooms.

"What's going on?" Hina begged, bursting out from her hiding spot as soon as Genkai let go of her death grip on her obi.

"Tv!" Hiei demanded, "Where's a tv?"

"In the other room." Genkai pointed to the left, rising up on surprisingly quick legs for a woman her age and sliding open the thin door. The five of them poured into the darkened room, lighting candles in their holders and plugging the television in from where it sat on the floor around many sitting pillows and remote controls.

"What did that man want?" Yukina asked.

"Yukina my love!" Kuwabara swept her up into a hug as soon as he was able, squeezing her so hard she made a slightly squeaking noise. "Don't worry! I, Kazuma Kuwabara, won't let Bui hurt you!"

"He was trying to warn us, not hurt us. Which makes me even more paranoid." Hiei added sourly. He gave Genkai a look, jerking his head at Yukina. "Genkai-"

"Yukina, come with me." Genkai took the hint, pulling her away from Kuwabara's frantic arms, "We need to make sure Bui is off the property. We must secure the dojo gates."

"Of course!" Yukina nodded her head eagerly, following after Genkai at a brisk pace so that Kuwabara's face fell as if christmas had been cancelled.

"How do we put this thing in?" Hiei demanded, "Do we open it?" Hiei tried to pull at the edges of the tv, wondering if the screen came off.

"No!" Kuwabara stopped him before he ruined the set, taking the caset back from him and sliding it neatly into the little rectangular opening below a few buttons. "Like this."

For a moment, there was only fuzz as Hina, Hiei, and Kuwabara crowded around the cramped screen on little pillows and folded up blankets. Their hearts raced, their pulses quickened... was Bui really trying to warn them? Or was it all a terrible trap... Was Gonzo Tarukane truly alive?

The show began, giving them a view of an ill lit cigar room where a shadowed figure sat in an expensive leather chair. A glass of sake was in one hand, a thick cigar was in the other. Hiei's heart fell as he realized the shape of that ugly head... it was Gonzo Tarukane alright, even if he couldn't see him very well.

"_Good evening Bui, I hope this finds you well. My name is Gonzo Tarukane, and I've called on you for a favor, and maybe you'll be obliging when you see the reward I have in store. I know that a few years back you fought a man in the Dark Tournament who nearly took your life but fell short, telling you to kill yourself. He needs no introduction to you, I'm sure." _The image of Tarukane in his chair was replaced by a screen capture from the last dark tournament. Hiei recognized himself, leaping from the highest rows of the wrecked stadium to stand clearly in the ring.

"_If you want to die, kill yourself. I don't take orders... especially from people I beat." _Hiei heard himself scathe. He realized just how menacing he looked in other peoples eyes.

"_10! Hiei takes the point!" _Cried out Koto, the enthusiastic referee, putting her cats paw up in the air to the screams of thousands of disappointed demons. The image cut away, back to Tarukane and his exotic cigar room. Tarukane made a strange tutting noise.

"_His names Hiei. I'm sure you remember him. He's coming back to the next tournament... but don't worry. He's got his work cut out for him. You see, I'm a man who enjoys fine things... When I see something I want, I take it. Hiei's no stranger to me either. His broad of a sister used to be a good friend of mine... She'd come to call on me... we'd have fun together... she'd even give me presents." _Tarukane added. The screen image cut away to a black and white security tape's footage where Yukina lay sobbing, dirty and broken, on a cold concrete floor, surrounded by her tears.

"_I'll do whatever you want!" _Yukina sobbed, hiroseke's forming all around her. Hiei felt his anger rise, and forced himself to remain calm, if only for her sake. He needed to keep his wits together if he wanted to outsmart this bastard twice. The scene cut away, back to Tarukane in his chair. Tarukane's voice had changed from calm to tense, a hard edge in his tone as he grew angry.

"_But her jealous brother didn't like that... he stole her away from me. Little bastard. But don't worry, I plan to get my revenge, just like you I bet. You see Bui, Hiei has a few things in common with his sister. Her eyes. Her smile... her tears. Hiei has a rare gift. He can make hiroseke stones... just like her. He probably doesn't know it yet. You see the gems of a male koorime are practically unheard of. Most males get knocked off from what my sources tell me. The icy bitches cast them out! Makes you love your mother, doesn't it? Hiei's going to make these stones for me... whether he wants to or not. The hiroseke of a male koorime turns into what's called a Black Bomb... a beautiful stone that can produce it's own heat. Pretty nifty, eh? It turns a valuable penny on the market, and I've always wanted to be a billionaire. Nows my chance and I'm going to take it... And when it's all over, you'll get your revenge. You'll get your kill." _

There was a strange clicking noise, and the tv cut to black. For a moment, the three of them were silent save for heavy breathing and hardened pulses.

"...This man is going to try and kill you." Hina whispered, petrified.

"Nothing unheard of." Hiei managed to reply, his voice shaky. He coughed to clear his throat, his nerves slightly getting the better of him. So Tarukane _was _alive... and he wanted Hiei to produce hiroseke's just like Yukina had? But could he, if pressed? Would his tears make these 'Black Bombs', or was it all just a plot to get him killed?

"Black bombs..." Kuwabara murmured, deep in troubled thought, "He thinks you're going to cry for him?"

"I shed a tear at the thought." Hiei snapped sarcastically. In the fools wildest dreams, "We can take this man out easily."

"Yeah, but how come he's back?" Kuwabara demanded, "I thought he was dead!"

"So did I." Hiei admitted ruefully.

"Maybe it's the same thing like you, Mrs. Hina..." Kuwabara wondered, growing panicky, "Maybe someone out there brought him back to life! Maybe they're going to bring back Toguro too! And Sensui-!"

"Not the time, not the time." Hiei calmed Kuwabara before he sent himself into a panic attack, "Back up the tape again, there's something that I want to hear."

Kuwabara complied, his fingers trembling slightly on the rewind button. Hiei motioned for Kuwabara to stop after a moment and Kuwabara pressed play.

"_The hiroseke of a male koorime turns into what's called a Black Bomb... a beautiful stone that can produce it's own heat."_

Hiei rubbed his pointed chin in thought... He'd never heard of such a concept.

"It's true." Hina spoke up after a moment of tense silence, "I've heard the stories."

"So I can produce these... Black Bombs?" Hiei asked, rather curious.

"Perhaps." Hina paused, her voice tense, "Can you cry?"

"... I've never cried." Hiei shook his head.

"Then maybe you can't..." Hina sighed, mulling the foul man's name over in her mind, "Your father warned me about this man."

"What?" Hiei demanded, snapping out of his thoughts.

"_How?" _Kuwabara's eyes were about to pop out of his head if Hina didn't start explaining.

Hina for her part was silent when she should have been talking. Her eyes had fallen dark, and she appeared to have sunken into a depressing thought... deep inside the cold confines of Hina's weary mind, she could hear Yukiei just as she had in her dream...

"_Gonzo Tarukane..." _Yukiei had whispered, looking her dead in the eye.

"... He warned me." Hina spoke up, "He used that name... Told me that man was going to do... horrible things." Hina shivered, the dream coming back to her... wrapping her mind in cruel thoughts...

_**(Scene Break) **_

"_**... Are you real?" She whispered, fearful of the answer.**_

"_**No." Yukiei sighed, the letters in his hands gone from sight. He looked down at the floor, looking back up at Hina with that small smile Hina had fallen in love with, "...He's coming."**_

_**Hina had no idea of whom Yukiei spoke, "Who?"**_

"_**Gonzo Tarukane." Yukiei murmured the name. It flashed thru Hina's brain. Something about that name... she should remember something about that name!**_

_**But Yukiei was turning, walking away from the hallway of their home to step into another world entirely. A world of deep hues as the sun fell down over the lake of Hanging Neck Island.**_

"_**Remember when we stayed in the hotel on Hanging Neck Island... We were so happy..." Yukiei sighed at the thought. He cast a look over his shoulder, locking eyes with Hina. "He's coming. You can't let them die."**_

"_**I... I won't let them die..." Hina assured him, coming up from behind and wrapping her arms around her husband. Oh... the pleasure and the pain. She laid her head on his shoulder, unable to forget the smell of his shampoo, or the way his hair fell as light as feather as the nape of his neck. "I love you so much."**_

_**(Scene Break) **_

Hina's face had fallen, her eyes blank and her expression morose. She could see Yukiei's face before her, haunted and grim... those beautiful red eyes so full of sadness and sorrow. It seemed as if she could touch him still, if only she closed her eyes one more time... reached out-

"Hina?" Hiei asked, touching her shoulder. She jumped, frightened and being shook from her private and disturbing thoughts.

"Sorry." Hina shivered. "I... I just... Your father told me to beware that man. He said 'He's coming, you can't let them die.'... Those were his exact words." Hina shivered again, feeling cold and fretful.

"...Maybe he's looking down on us now." Kuwabara attempted to try and give her some comfort in her time of grief. But he failed, and instead his words stung and hurt. What would Yukiei say if he could see her now... Hina knew that Yukiei had died a horrible death. The kind of death that left a cruel and unbending imprint on the earth, forever tainting it dark red... the blood of martyr... the blood of a father who never even got to love his own children.

Hina rose off her blanket, clutching her mouth with trembling hands to keep from screaming aloud.

"...Excuse me." Hina whispered, and before she burst into screams, she walked out of the room, closing the door behind her.

"... Your dad's looking over you." Kuwabara attempted to remedy his actions. Hiei nodded, clenching his eyes and trying to block out the image of what his father might have looked like.

"Let's hope not." Hiei pursed his lips into a thin white line, "I have a feeling he's as mean as a snake."

"Tarukane is back." Kuwabara's voice was thick with dark anger, "And he wants you. Just like he wanted Yukina."

"He'll never get me-"

"But he will!" Kuwabara cut across angrily, "The same way he got Yukina! HIei you've got to go into hiding! We've got to get out of the tournament!"

"No!" Hiei shouted him down, so that Kuwabara quailed, "We will not run from our fates. We're not cowards."

"... No one can call me a coward." Kuwabara growled, "But I'm serious, Hiei... If he's back, and he wants these 'Black Bombs'... he'll find you. He'll kidnap you. He'll torture you."

Hiei's lip curled in disgust.

"He'll never get them." Hiei smirked evilly, "He'll find that out soon enough."

"Money can make monsters out of even the most docile men. Tarukane's got a loaded pistol in his lap. You can't ignore that, Hiei." Kuwabara warned. "If he can buy a bigger man to take you out..." He didn't continue on but his message was clear. _If he can buy a bigger man to take you out, you won't stand a chance. _

Outside the doors, Buson let out a deep wail of misery.

_**(Scene Break) **_

Up on the balcony of the dojo, Hina sat wiping tears from her red eyes before they formed into hiroseke's. The sun was setting dark in a deep purple side, casting deep hues and shadows onto the grounds and dojo. Hina wanted nothing more than to dig a hole deep into the earth, and lay there until she died again... lay there until the worms ate her away and broke her. She heard the rickety stares behind her shift with weight and knew that someone was joining her. Steeling herself, Hina sat up a little straighter on the edge of the dojo roof, and stared out vacantly into the sky.

"The weather is calm for such a shocking day." Genkai appeared, wiping her hands from the dirt that lay on them. She sat down beside Hina with a little groan and stared out at the sky. Hina said nothing to that, staring out at the sky with eyes threatening to fill up with tears.

"If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you travel to?" Genkai asked out of the blue.

"...No where." Hina whispered, wiping the half-formed tears away, "I could go a million miles. He wouldn't be there."

"I know the feeling." Genkai sighed, rubbing her eyes.

"Loved and lost?" Hina cast Genkai a curious look.

"Yes." Genkai admitted, "I loved once. I hoped once. As did you... Hiei tells me Yukiei came to you in your dreams?"

"...Yes."

"How did he look?" Genkai asked.

Hina closed her eyes, shutting the world off from her broken mind. Genkai's words were calm, but she wanted to do anything but calm. She wanted to rip shingles off the roof, tear down the chimney, throw Genkai from her seat and pull out her greying hair. She wanted chaos to reign. She wanted Yukiei back... and she knew she'd never get him back. In this life, nor next.

"I can't talk about this." Hina rose up, turning to leave.

"But you must." Genkai turned around, rising as well, "If that pain stays inside you, it will destroy you-"

"So let it destroy me!" Hina rounded on Genkai, her anger slipping out for a brief moment, "Maybe I want it to destroy me!"

"..You have to let it go." Genkai reached out with a withered hand, laying it on Hina's own, "You have to let him go."

Hina couldn't hold a single thought, her eyes slipping up, staring behind Genkai as her mind drifted. Let Yukiei go? Never... Never. It was blasphemy. It was impossible. She wouldn't do it. Not if the Devil came out of hell and pressed a white hot knife to her throat and told her she'd die for her it. She wouldn't do it.

"You understand that right?" Genkai looked genuinely worried, "You can't help your children _and _hold onto him. You want to protect your children? You have to let him go."

"... I can't."

"You have to-!"

"I CAN'T!" Hina screamed, her voice cracking as she wrenched her hand away.

Out of the darkened trees, birds flew out of their hiding places, terrified of the wail they heard, wanting to escape back into the peaceful quiet of the dark.

Hina trembled as she met Genkai's wide eyes, shocked at her shouting. She couldn't stay. She turned to leave, rushing down the steps.

_**(Scene Break) **_

That night, Hina did not sleep well. She shifted and sweated in her sheets, terror rocking her.

_**She was walking down a narrow street outside of Hanging Neck Island. She knew it well. It was where they put the dead bodies. Sure enough, as she walked further on, there were all the rotting corpses from the tournaments end. Fighters torn limb from limb, their tortured faces frozen in wails they couldn't utter. Hina's eye caught one young man in particular, who was laying in a blood bath. With a blink, he'd transformed into Yukiei, frozen solid and laying on the ground just like the last time she'd seen him before her ancestors had frozen him into the glacier. He was holding HIei in his arms. Hiei was frozen as well, covered in bruises and blood. Both of them were staring at Hina with unseeing eyes. Hina's heart pounded as, with frighteningly slow gait, Hiei raised himself up off his father's chest, tears of black dripping out of his eyes like a faucet. **_

"_**You should have saved me..." Hiei's voice drifted thru the air though his lips never moved, "You should have saved all of us." **_

_**Hina turned away, unable to take the terror. She felt the earth shift around her and when she opened her eyes again she was in Genkai's dojo common room where the fire was going. Hina was a large leather chair with smoke rising up in a little trail. Moving slowly around the chair, her heart pounding as she sensed evil, Hina was horrified to see Gonzo Tarukane lounging in the chair, dressed in a neat black suit and tie, his engorged and ugly face sweating from the fire smiling evilly. **_

"_**Hey Beautiful." He called out to her, laughing at the look of fear on her face. **_

"_**Tarukane." She whispered, hatred filling her up like lava from the inside. **_

"_**No hard feelings between business partners right?" Tarukane laughed. "You make em, I use em... I like your style gorgeous." He rose up out of his chair, his enormous girth filling up the tiny space like a black mass. He took his hand and placed it over the obscene bulge in his pants, squeezing it lovingly, "A little something for later... Cause I know how much you need it." He laughed again. **_

_**Hina shrank back, filled with disgust. Hina opened her eyes again and Tarukane was gone to be replaced by Kurama, who was pale and withdraw as a vulture like shadow held him from behind with red glowing eyes, "The clock is ticking Hina..." Kurama whispered, blood pouring out his mouth, "We're running out of time..." **_

_**Hina reached out to touch Kurama, to heal him, but a scream ripped thru the air and stopped her cold, rooting her to the core with paranoia and horror. She whipped around, her heart pounding, to see Yukiei standing before her with Hiei and Yukina at his feet. They were all drenched in blood, and black tear gems littered the floor. In horror, Hina moved forward, her eyes locked on her dead children and her broken husband. **_

"_**Yukiei..." Hina trembled, grief holding her tight, "What have we done?" **_

_**Yukiei reached out to hold her gently, and the pair of them wept together. **_

_**When they left go, Yukiei bent down to pick Yukina up in his arms, cradling her like a baby. Hina grabbed Hiei from the floor, holding him tight to her chest. They walked out of the room together, their little family huddling in the darkness as they shifted from scene to scene, terror and bloody massacre breaking the scenery. **_

"_**I'm dead..." Hiei whispered in her arms, his face contorted with the pain of mortality. **_

"_**I'm so sorry..." Hina wept bitterly, hiroseke's falling onto Hiei's stomach. **_

"_**Why... Why did this happen?" Hiei asked. **_

"_**I don't know." Hina wept even harder. " I don't know." **_

_**Yukiei and Hina stood before a torture chamber where a fire was blazing in a massive black oven. Unable to stop herself, though a voice screamed in her head not to, she and Yukiei threw Hiei and Hina onto the fire where they rotted in the hot inferno... their skins melting off, their bones white hot- **_

_**Hina shot up from her dreams, horrified but not fully awake. She lay in her room at the dojo, hearing a commotion from outside her quarters. Her door handle as shifting... someone was coming inside. He door opened to reveal someone cloaked. Afraid, Hina shivered and drew her blankets tight to her chest. But as the stranger let his cloak down, Hina relaxed and broke into a wide smile as it was shown to be Yukiei. He was covered in ice, and he shivered, clutching his hands to throat as if he couldn't breath. Hina rose from her bed, bringing him into a warm hug in an attempt to bring heat back to his body. **_

"_**...Why are you covered in blood, Yukiei?" Hina asked. **_

"_**Gonzo isn't dead." Yukiei spoke up, looking her dead in the eye, "He isn't gone. He's still here." **_

"_**I know." Hina nodded. **_

"_**You need to find him, Hina. You find him and you kill him before he kills our children." Yukiei begged. Hina's lips trembled and she could not help but cry for sorrow. She wanted to hold Yukiei forever, and Tarukane be damned. Why couldn't they just be... without pain or sorrow. **_

"_**It's okay..." Yukiei soothed, "It's okay." He held Hina close, the ice from his clothes chilling her to the bone. "Sh..." He murmured into her ear... Hina closed her eyes, relaxing in his hold-**_

She awoke to the sound of talking and chairs scraping outside her door. She was clutching a pillow in a death grip, and she let it go at once, knowing that she thought that she'd been holding Yukiei all along. She sat up to see that her door was closed and locked. No stranger had come in. No Yukiei had held her tight. Rubbing her eyes blearily, Hina rose from her bed to find out what all the commotion was about and opened her door wide to the hallway where talking could be heard loud and clear. Genkai was passing by, a suitcase in her hand.

"What's going on?" Hina asked, confused.

"Welcome to the day before the tournament." Genkai explained, "We're on the move. Pack up your things... it's time."

Hina immediately returned to her room, shoving things in her bag as quickly as she could. It was dark outside her window and she wondered how long she'd been asleep. Outside her door, she could hear voices.

"I've been practicing all week long, I think we've got our best chance-" Yusuke's voice was drowned out by Kuwabara's as he walked down the hallway with someone.

"The whole island is going to be booked with thugs, just look at this!"

"You alright?" Genkai walked into Hina's room, helping her fold and stack her futon mats.

"Yeah..." Hina paused, "Sorry about... Last night."

"It happens." Genkai shrugged.

"What the hell is going on?" Hina asked. "Why is everyone here?"

"We're leaving tomorrow morning, very early. Around three a.m. It's almost supper time. You slept till seven in the afternoon." Genkai explained.

"I did?" Hina paused in amazement. How had she achieved that?

"Yes. You looked pale so we let you sleep." Genkai explained. "Hurry up and meet us in the common room." She left after that, closing the door behind her. She stuffed everything she owned in her bag, zipping it up tight just as she had done when she'd first arrived with Botan by oar. Slinging it over her shoulder, she rose up, giving her room one last smile before she left and closed the door tight behind. Walking back out into the hall she passed by the common room as she dropped off her bag at the front door by a stack of others and turned around to see Yusuke, Kurama, Kuwabara, Hiei, and Genkai all in the common room clustered around one another as they sharpened their weapons, honed their spiritual powers, and poured over tactic books.

"I just got my sword sharpened." Hiei reported, testing the tip of it with his finger so that a red drop of blood appeared.

"I have every plant in my satchel known to makai kind." Kurama added, shaking a leather pouch which was strung to his hip. "My rose whip is renewed as well."

"What about the Fruit of the Other Life?" Yusuke asked, "Just in case we need Yoko?"

"I managed to find four." Kurama added mischievously.

"Find as in 'swiped from under the care takers noses?" Hiei jested.

"They weren't using them." Kurama shrugged, at ease with the steal.

"Alright gang, everyone listen up!" Yusuke stood up, changing himself with pride, "Tomorrow morning we're going to be blasting a hole in that fucking island! Whose with me!"

"I am!" Kuwabara shrieked, punching a manly fist in the air.

"I'll tolerate it." Hiei grumbled.

"As will I." Kurama smiled serenely.

"Genkai, you ready to kick some ass?" Yusuke teased.

"Get off your high horse, imbecile." Genkai harrumphed, "I was born to kick ass."

"That's my favorite hag! Here are our boarding tickets to the ferry and to the hotel." Yusuke passed them out to everyone, "Botan and Koenma are going to be arriving at three tomorrow morning with the car that will take us to the dock. Everyone needs to get a good meal, and a good nights sleep- hey!" Yusuke seemed to realize Hina was amongst them, "Look who it is!" Everyone turned around to see her, "How's it going, healer?"

"Very good Yusuke." Hina bowed in greeting, "How are you?"

"I'm back and better than ever." Yusuke jammed a cocky thumb to his chest, "You ready to bandage some bloody boys?"

"Very." Hina grimaced.

"Good because you were gonna do it even if you weren't. Yukina, how are you feeling sweet heart?" Yusuke called out to Yukina from the kitchen where she stood over a pot of thick stew.

"Very good!" Yukina smiled. "Thank you!"

"Alright! You and your mom are going to tag team, okay? Shizuru's going to be our eye in the sky. She'll keep us informed if she gets any tingly feelings in her spiritual sense. George has his hands on the referee, so that base is covered... Keiko's going to be there too. To boost moral." Yusuke explained, counting on fingers as he named his teammates.

Kuwabara swelled with pride. "Yukina is all the moral boost I need." He smiled dreamily as if in heaven.

"Amen." Hiei grumbled and Hina couldn't help but smile as well.

They gathered around the kitchen table, an enormous family in their wake. Genkai, Hina, and Yukina helped to finish the meal while Kurama set the table and roasted the duck with his ki. He nearly overdid it to everyone's amusement, but dinner was saved by Yukina's cry of "Brown! Not burnt!" so that Hiei was able to back off in time. Yusuke poured the sake and green tea as Kuwabara complimented Yukina over and over again. Buson pattered around the floor, barking and wagging his tail as Hiei secretly attempted to feed him bits of duck. Kurama and Yusuke poked fun at Hiei constantly as Buson rubbed up against his leg and whined for attention. Hiei was more than happy to give it. Yukina's birds twittered cheerily in the corner, giving the atmosphere joy.

"You boys need to eat plenty of carbs." Hina dictated as they all tucked into supper, filling their plates high, "They digest easier than protein. Caffeine as well. Eat some Ephedra-" She diced the herb from her collection into a fine powder, sprinkling it over every food she could, "How about some Coca? Licorice? They'll excite your body and resist you to pressure."

"Man this is front row service!" Kuwabara cheered, stuffing his face like only a boy could.

"Here's your room ticket, Hina." Genkai gave it to her, and she tucked it away into her obi for safe keeping, "You're staying with Yukina, Keiko, Shizuru, and Botan. Is that alright?"

"Quite." Hina agreed, drinking her green tea down, "Where will you stay?"

"With the dream team." Genkai grumbled, jerking her thumb at the four, "Someone has to keep them safe."

"I agree." Hina chortled, "Thank you."

Dinner passed by too quickly, and Hina washed the dishes after much pressuring, her eyes constantly roaming the common room where the team began to settle down for the night on the couches and floor. Yukina had spread out blankets everywhere, curling up beside Kuwabara and telling him fables from her home country to ease his jittered nerves. Hiei sat by the fire, sharpening his sword and staring into it's depths with Kurama at his side. Yusuke and Genkai were arguing again about something silly, such as a 'nintendo game' which Hina had never heard of before. Perhaps it was a sport? Buson rubbed on her ankle and she smiled down at the puppy as she finished the last of the dishes, drying them off with a dampened towel. Cracking her back, she stretched down and scooped the little black lab up, tickling his belly and letting him lick her chin. He was sleepy, and he gave a wide yawn. Hina held him close, turning off the lights in the kitchen so that the only light came from the fire which was now dying down into embers.

"I'm setting an alarm." Genkai explained, winding up a clock on the mantle. "Are you sleepy at all?"

"No." Hina admitted, rubbing Buson, "I'm nervous."

"It's normal." Genkai agreed, "This Gonzo Tarukane business is going to be investigated fully by you and I."

"Has Hiei or Kazuma told anyone?" Hina asked, rather confused that no one had mentioned the pink elephant.

"No." Genkai shrugged her shoulders, "Not even Yusuke. I believe they want to keep a panic from starting this soon to the tournament."

"I'm scared for my son." Hina whispered. Buson whined and she shushed him.

"We all are." Genkai agreed, laying down her own mats and relaxing on the couch, "But this group is a family. If one goes down, they all go down."

"Thank you." Hina smiled, putting Buson on the floor. Buson wandered over to Hiei, wagging his tail and crawling into his lap. Hiei wound down for the night, sleeping in a sitting position with Buson in his lap and his sword at his side. Hina watched from the table where she sat reading field notes from her last tournament. Kurama was winding down, relaxing on the couch and closing his emerald eyes contentedly. Kuwabara was already deep asleep on the floor, Yukina spooned at his side with a dreamy smile. Yusuke and Genkai relaxed on the other couch, their legs crossing as they shared a blanket. Hina realized she was the only one awake and sighed, wishing that she could fall asleep like the rest if only to see Yukiei again.

Her dreams were vivid and frightening, always covered in blood, ice, and screams. What did they mean? Were they really signs from the beyond? Was Yukiei truly trying to contact her? Or was it just her vivid imagination... Oh but how could she wonder about things like that when all her boys were asleep and her daughter was at peace. Setting her field notes aside, Hina watched them sleep with a smile on her face. Unable to stay still, she rose, checking to make sure everyone had a blanket and was content. On her travel about the room she paused by the bags, making sure all the zippers were tight. Her own bag was a little loose and she opened it to discover that a photo was sticking a little out of her journal, preventing the zipper from closing all the way. Pulling it out, Hina was somber to realize it was of her and Yukiei.

It was the only picture of him she possessed. The only proof she had of his existence.

There was Yukiei and her, on their wedding day... the winds of the fire temple were blowing their hair about. Yukiei had that ridiculous goatee that Hina had begged him to get rid of, with bones tying knots in it. Yukiei was happy as could be, proud of his new bride, and of the life he'd chosen.

She didn't know how long she sat there, staring at the picture.

"Why so gloomy, Hina?"

"Fuck!" Hina hissed in fright, whipping around. Koenma stood in the doorway, dressed in a fine tunic, his pacifier still latched firmly in his mouth. Hina stared at him, her heart pounding as she clutched her picture close to her chest.

"How are you enjoying life?" Koenma asked, "Is it everything you could have hoped for?"

Hina looked back at her son and daughter asleep on the floor, "... So much more." She agreed.

"Hello dear!" Botan came thru the door, wearing a light pink Kimono with a bow in her hair. She hugged her close, fondness pouring out of her like a radiant light, "how are you? Have you got your bags ready?"

"Yes. We're all ready. How are you?" Hina asked, smiling at her old friend. Botan winked.

"I'm so glad to see that you're okay." Botan hugged her tight again, "I've been worried. How do you feel?"

"Fine. Thank you, and you?"

"Okie Doky!" Botan giggled quietly.

"We've just arrived. George is outside waiting with the car." Koenma explained, "Are you ready?"

"...It's not up to me, Koenma." Hina sighed, looking back at their four fighters.

"We had a deal, Hina." Koenma warned.

"A deal I will complete. Shall I wake them up?" Hina asked.

"Yes." Koenma agreed.

Hina made her rounds, going to each sleeper and rubbing them soothingly.

"Hiei..." Hina whispered lightly on his ear, giving him a motherly kiss on the forehead, "Hiei, wake up."

Hiei's eyes opened slowly, refocusing on his mother face. "... It's time." He whispered.

"Yes." Hina sighed, her nerves making her jittery. Hiei rose up, letting Buson continue to sleep on the floor. He tied his sword tight to his side and wrapped his cloak about him. He wrapped Buson tight in his black cloak, so that the sleeping puppy hardly even shifted.

"Yusuke, it's time." Hina whispered in his ear. Yusuke shifted, kicking Genkai awake.

"Thanks." He answered groggily, rising up and rubbing his hair to try and comb it down. He stretched, throwing his bag over his shoulder and grinning lazily at them all.

"Kurama-"

"Already wide awake." Hina was surprised to see that Kurama did not need help in getting up, and rose fluidly off the couch without even wrinkling is pale tunic. He sighed, retying his leather satchel for safety and picking his own bag up.

"Kazuma-"

"Never went to sleep." Kuwabara snuggled tight to Yukina once more, before sitting up and helping Kurama to put away the blankets.

"No need for my alarm, I guess." Genkai unset it gently.

"How do you feel?" Koenma asked.

"Old." Genkai grumbled, "Let's go. I'll turn out the lights and lock down my dojo."

"Come on, everyone." Koenma ordered, "Grab your bags and load up in the car."

"Road trip." Yusuke griped, "Yay." He was the first one out the door, tasting the cold night air as he walked down the dojo steps.

"Hope no one gets car sick." Kuwabara winced at the thought, walking out next.

"Mmm..." Yukina sat up, rubbing her eyes. "I'm so tired."

"You can sleep on the car ride up to the ferry." Hina assured her, helping her up and pulling her close, "Don't you worry."

"Come on, Yukina." Botan took her under her arm, nuzzling her like an older sister. Hina picked up both their bags, and soon she, Yukina, Botan, Kurama, and Hiei were all walking out together, leaving the dojo behind as they passed the gates and began their descent down the steps. It did not take long, even in the cold and dark. At the very base of the steps on the curb of the road was a long stretch limousine waiting for them with an ogre at the wheel in a good looking uniform. Outside the car were Yusuke and Kuwabara, standing beside two other girls, one of whom Hina knew and the other whom she did not. Shizuru was back, a little less bossy than before but no less intimidating.

"Cold as shit out this bitch, aint it." Shizuru greeted.

"Good morning, Shizuru." Hina laughed a little.

"Is it morning?" Shizuru checked her wrist watch, "Fuck I guess it is."

The other girl was holding Yusuke close, smiling as she looked up at him with kind brown eyes. She was clearly Keiko.

"And you must be Keiko." Hina shook her hand warmly, "How do you do dear?"

"I'm tired but I'm ready." Keiko admitted, "I've done the tournament before, and I know what to expect. It's so nice to meet you finally."

"The feeling is mutual." Hina assured, "And might I say it's so nice to see a genuine and kind girl in these dark times."

George was a busy bee, loading suitcases into the back of the limo with expert speed so that in no time everyone's things were locked down safe and secure.

"All loaded up sir!" George reported.

"Good." Koenma nodded, "Does everyone have their hotel ticket?"

People raised up their ticket stubs with a show of hands. "Does everyone have their tournament pass?" Once again, hands were raised and papers were shown. "Alright then... Ladies, you get in first."

Hina piled in, finding her seat in the corner and sliding down the leather booths. Yukina was at her side, her head in her lap. Shizuru, Botan, and Keiko were in next, all of them other other side and sharing soft drinks, chips. They plugged in strange devices with head phones, putting the buds into their ears. Hina wondered what they might be listening to. Next came Hiei and Kurama, sliding down the booth seats and so that they were next to Hina and Yukina. Kuwabara and Yusuke were last, with Genkai bringing up the rear, keys jangling in her hands. Koenma closed the door tight behind them so that for a moment there was only darkness. Then George started up the car and Koenma slid into the passenger seat up front... There was start, and the car pulled away.

Their ride was silent as companions leaned on one another to catch a few more hours of much needed sleep and teenage girls rocked away silently to their music. Yukina and Hiei were all but combed around one another, trying to get a more more minutes of rest before the chaos began. Hina leaned her head on her arm, watching her children with eyes full of wonder. In a world full of beautiful sights and beautiful thoughts, it never ceased to amaze her how a sight as common as her children together could simply blow her mind and take her breath away. Truly... there was nothing more spectacular. Yukina bit her thumb in her sleep, and Hina tucked a stray piece of hair behind Hiei's ear. Hiei looked around at her, and their eyes connected. They stared at one another they entire car ride, their eyes locked in a growing bond as they shared unspoken thoughts and fears.

Hina would remember it as the final moment of peace they had before the horrors would begin.

After what felt like hours, the car suddenly started to slow, and several speed bumps shook the passengers awake.

"Koenma sir-" George spoke up from the front seat.

"Yes." Koenma cut him off, "... We've arrived."

Quickly, Hina looked up, scanning over her shoulder out the tinted window to see the pale pink down coming over the horizon... the sun was rising.

She saw many other long cars, all parked neatly in a garage deck. There were people out by the dock, all of them grotesque monsters holding weapons and bags. Every now and then she would see a human, but it was a rarity. Out over the water sat a small island, just as menacing and as barren as when Hina had left it.

She knew it well. Hanging Neck Island.

It was time.


	10. The Receiving End

_**G'day mates. How'd you like that Bui? He's an odd man isn't he... and don't worry, he'll be showing up later in the story. I know alot of people are wondering where the bloody hell the plot is. Well, here it be. We're officially outta the dojo and back in the tournament setting! I've been watching the Dark Tournament saga, and i'm ready to do this next one justice... but whats this...? Someone is lurking just out of sight... Gonzo Tarukane... MWAHAHAHA. Read on my little slaves! Also, keep your eyes out for Japanese folk lore coming in to play! :) **_

_**(Scene Break) **_

It was with much haste that Team Urameshi piled out of their limousine and onto the pier where other teams were waiting. The morning was crisp and cool, and a light sea breeze tossed their hair. The girls stretched and yawned, resettling their bra straps and straddling on their shoes. The boys were a different matter, casting wary glances over their shoulders and keeping a tight knit circle around one another.

"This isn't like last time." Yusuke muttered. "Everyone stay close."

"That's because you're not the surprise team." Koenma explained, "You don't have to ride on the trap ferry... you're already reserved your place in the tournament. You forget too quickly, Yusuke, you are the reigning champions."

"Oh that's right." Yusuke mused, yawning and ruffling his messed up hair. Hina shifted from foot to foot, tense and uneasy. When she had arrived in her previous life, it had been on this very same ferry with other healers. She hadn't dealt with team opponents till the tournament and even then... they all liked her. She was a free healer. This time around, demons were giving her mutinous looks, clearly for being with Team Urameshi. Would they be attacked so early? How safe were they?

"What if they attack us now?" Hina demanded.

"Watch this." Yusuke grinned. He flicked his right index finger, and Hina watched agog as several demons jumped back a little in fright. "...Yeah, we're pretty safe. They're too chicken shit to try. Besides, they know what Hiei's got under his arm. They won't come near us."

Hiei grinned, his fangs showing a little as he petted his right arm in a soothing manner.

"Soon enough you'll taste your blood." Hiei cooed, as if talking to a pet. Inside his coat, Buson made a muffled noise and Hiei shushed him at once, "Not you, Buson."

Where Yusuke was cocky, Koenma was a prat. He strode from his limousine as George the ogre parked it in the deck next to several others, whipping his red velvet scarf over his shoulder with a royal flare and strutting down the pier.

"Stand aside, boys." Koenma ordered, "The reigning champions are coming thru." Like a magician's act, a sea of demons parted at once, giving Team Urameshi wary looks as they passed thru them, trotting on the rotting planks with great care. The girls stood by their men, clinging to their arms and avoiding the eyes of the vile creatures that eyed them with great intrigue. Shizuru on the other hand had her fist up in a threatening manner, and glowered. She didn't need a man to feel safe. She was man enough. Hina smiled. "Lord Hashuri... I see your team is ready."

At the end of the pier stood a man in regal heir, with a robe of Dalmatian furs and finger nails that stretched out like viper claws. He looked savage, as if he drank blood from his wine glass, and he gave Koenma a nefarious look.

"Make no mistake, Prince Koenma." Lord Hashuri sneered with a contemptuous smile. "Our team will ground yours into the dust."

Hina sized them up, wondering which one was going to try and take on her own son. The five fighters were brawny men with tattoos that stretched down their arms like ink snakes. They had barbs thru their ears and nostrils, with their eye lids painted a thick red. Hina could sense a wave of spirit energy coming off of them, and retracted her own ki, not wanting to start a riot on the dock.

"You expect me to take a man with a toothpick thru his nose seriously?" Koenma drawled, pointing to one of the fighters with a large bone thru his nose. The fighter said nothing, regarding Koenma without so much as a blink of care. He was either very brave, or very stupid.

"Laugh all you want, little prince." Lord Hashuri turned away, "You'll soon be begging for mercy."

"It's funny how you say that as you tremble." Koenma jibbed. Hina noticed he was quite right, for Hashuri's hand were shaking... if only the tiniest bit. Was Team Urameshi really so intimidating? Hina looked back at Yusuke, Kurama, Hiei, and Kuwabara. She'd seen these boys fight in the dirt, share plates at the dinner table, and chew their fingernails like any other human being... but the demons around their team were pale, sweaty, and anxious. It was as if they were facing a bogey man.

"WELL I'LL BE DARNED!" Came a squall, and Hina jumped, her mind racing to a fight on the docks, and her daughter and son in harm, but it was only a very tall, very brusque man with a violet mohawk and a drunken facade who loosely clutched a sake jar and swayed from side to side. "If it aint the bugger with the finger from God!"

"Chuu!" Yusuke rejoiced. They clearly knew one another. "You bastard!" They embraced noisily, laughing and slapping each other around. They were men, after all.

"You ready to taste the dirt?" Chuu teased lightly.

"In your dreams, Aussie!" Yusuke laughed, rubbing him playfully.

"We'llseewhosethebettermanwon'tweUrameshiandthenwooweeyou'!"

Hina could hardly discern one word from the next as an wind spirit with an irish accent strode next to his teammate Chuu and gave Yusuke a broad hug.

"Ah, I still can't understand a word you say!" Yusuke laughed, "Give me a hug, Jin!"

"It seems we're all back in town." Kurama smiled politely. Hiei snorted.

"Kurama!" Jin the irishman punched him playfully on the shoulder, "Givemealickyouolddevil!"

"I'd rather not." Kurama laughed, raising up his hands in mock surrender.

"It'ssogoodtoseeyou!" Jin rushed, leaning back with a toothy grin. Hina noticed several fangs sticking out of his mouth, along with a tiny white horn that poked playfully out of his wild red locks of hair, "?"

"I left for my old life." Kurama could clearly tell what Jin was saying. Hina wasn't so lucky and looked to Kurama for answers, "I wish I didn't have to leave it again."

"Don't worry." Yusuke wrapped an arm around Kurama's shoulders, giving him a half hug, "You'll be back soon enough, with a trophy to boot! When we win this time, I plan on connecting my reward! I'm going to wish for a wedding ring the size of the moon!"

Keiko blushed furiously, nudging Yusuke in the side to stop.

"AS BIG AS THE MO-" Yusuke seemed quite content to shout and laugh, but he halted in his tracks, his voice trailing away as he stared with wide eyes over Hina's shoulder. Confused, Hina looked around.

She immediately wished she hadn't.

She jumped back, nearly falling of the pier in fright. But Hiei grabbed her by the hand, and held her tight. She stood behind him, a hand on her throat to keep from screaming.

Everyone recoiled as a team strode forward, with no apparent leader. One of them was a woman with her eyes locked on Kurama. She was tall with a white trench-coat down to her knees and an enormous pair of sheering scissors in her left hand. Over her mouth was a surgical mask, and her eyes were unfocused, dilated, with an eerie shade of light yellow. Her long black hair draped to her waste... her fingernails were as hard as ceramic, tainted in blood.

"Who is that woman?" Hiei muttered.

"Mother she frightens me." Yukina whispered, holding on tight to Kuwabara's arm.

"She frightens me too." Hina admitted.

"Who the hell is that?" Yusuke demanded, "And why's she looking at Kurama like he's dinner?"

"Her?" Chuu's normally cheery face fell. Even Jin looked dismayed, and didn't say much as he pursed his lips and crossed his arms, "She's a member of Team Tarukane. You stay outta her way."

"Team Tarukane?" Yusuke was wracking his brain, his eyes pinched close, "I remember that name from somewhere... God... Where have I heard that name?"

But Hiei and Kuwabara were wiser. They shot each other a glance with widened eyes. Did Tarukane really have a team? It seemed so.

"Her name is Taoka." Chuu explained, "Least, that's the rumor on the breeze. "The Slit Mouthed Woman. Rumor has it that under that surgical mask of hers she's got a slit going from ear to ear... Ripping her mouth wide open."

"She gives me the creeps." Yusuke shivered.

"As she should." Chuu nodded, "She scares the hell outta any bloke."

"Not me." Hiei grumbled. "Look, the ferry is here... Kurama- Kurama?" Hiei looked around, confused as to where his red haired companion had went. But Kurama was not by Hiei's side anymore. He was looking Taoka dead in the eye, shivering as she advanced on him, her sheering scissors snapping.

"..._Am... I... Pretty..." _The voice seemed to shift from the air. Demons stepped back, giving Taoka plenty of room to breath. Kurama wouldn't move.

"Go away, Shade." Kurama whispered, backing up a little.

"Kurama, come on." Hiei tugged Kurama by the elbow, getting him away from the terror before she could snare him in. "We have to stick together."

Keiko looked from Taoka to the fast approaching ferry which chugged along, "Yusuke are you sure you're going to be okay?"

"Ahh." Yusuke gave her a grand smile as if they weren't in the middle of a crowd of angry demons, "We'll be fine."

As the ferry approached, demons lined up behind their leaders and sponsors, holding their weapons close and their friends closer. Hiei scratched Buson's head as the ferry docked and dock lines were cast to be tied down to cleats by deck hands. Steam blowed out of the stern and an enormous ramp descended from two decks down. The ferry captain strode down, his gold buttons gleaming in the morning light.

"All aboard the ferry!" The conductor called, "One stop to Hanging Neck Island!"

"Let's go." Koenma nodded, and the team surged forward. Demons tried to press in on them, leering and attempting to frighten them.

"Piss off, ugly!" Shizuru bellowed, so that a few demons scattered back as they moved up the ramp.

"Hey pretty girl!" One demon with enormous horns pressed close to Yukina, breathing down her neck. Yukina was petrified, "How'd you like to be my sugar dumpling?"

"Please!" Yukina tried to back out but another demon closed in on her other side, "Stay away!"

"Look a hear!" The new demon leered, "A pretty little ice demon to keep me cozy at nigh-"

Hina couldn't take it anymore. She reached back and punched the demon hard in the throat. With a gurgle and a splash, he fell off the ramp into the water below. She yanked Yukina by the arm, pulling her away from the danger.

"Very nice..." Yusuke was thoroughly impressed, "Hina's got balls."

"Move along! EVERYONE!" Kurama pushed them forward before a commotion could start from the accident on the ramp. The decks were polished and cleared of deck chairs so that once they were on board, it was easy to run. The boys had the girls by the arms, so that once they reached the first clear compartment they were the first inside. Botan, Shizuru, Keiko, Yukina, and Hina were thrust inside as Yusuke and Kuwabara slammed the door shut and locked it. Hiei and Kurama yanked the curtains closed on the windows. They shivered, sitting down on the seats and catching their breaths.

"Is everyone alright?" Koenma asked.

"A little shaken." Hina rubbed Yukina's arm, "But yes."

"Good." Koenma sighed, sitting down, "I'm so sorry. I know that must have frightened you, Yukina."

" A little..." Yukina admitted, her voice a tremble, "But I believe with all my heart that my brother is near... and he will come to the tournament this time. And to our aid." Yukina nodded firmly.

Hiei's eyes were downcast.

"I believe that as well." Kurama put on a forced smile, turning to look at Hiei with wide eyes. "Don't you, Hiei?"

"Yeah, Hiei." Yusuke teased, slinging his arm around Keiko's neck, "Sounds like a plausible ideal to me."

"Very plausible." Kuwabara added.

"Would you _shuttup?" _Hiei snapped.

They lounged on the seats, rubbing their eyes and waking up from the early morning car ride. The sun rose over the lake as the ferry took off from the dock, chugging along on the lapping water as they drew nearer and nearer to Hanging Neck Island out in the distance.

About an hour later, a knocking came at the door. A demoness with bright eyes and three horns out of her forehead poked inside with a bright smile.

"Trolly service!" She smiled, Would you gentlemen like something to eat?"

"Thank you very much." Koenma beamed, "Ogre!"

From his lax stance, curled up on the sofa asleep, George snapped two, blood shot and bleary eyed. "We'll take one of everything!" George blurted out, exhausted from driving so far.

They ate together, sharing sandwiches and sweets as the ferry ride continued on. Kurama was deep in thought.

"The ferry should arrive by around noon. We'll have to get to the hotel then... I don't know what resistance may come. But we can surely take it if we are wise. After all, we won't have to deal with Toguro's thugs anymore. That's something to be praised." Kurama smiled.

"That's right. We're going to be okay now without him to hold us hostage." Yusuke gave a broad smile, munching noisily on his wrap sandwich. Hiei and Kuwabara shared another look... Yusuke had no idea that they were, indeed, going to probably be held hostage again by _another _corrupt committee.

"Once we dock, we're going to have to keep close together. Low class demons will be all around the forest. I'm afraid we may meet some thugs along the way." Kurama continued on.

"We can take them." Kuwabara nodded, and Hiei inwardly agreed. After relaxing for a little while the team began to stretch, keeping their sense together as they prepared for the docking. The girls watched, supporting them.

"That's it!" Botan cheered, "Get flexible!"

For the entire trip, Buson crawled around on the floor of the compartment, running from one person to the next to lick their hands, nibble at their sandwiches, and tug at their shoe strings. Keiko pronounced him almost as adorable as Pu, to which Yusuke insisted Pu was not adorable at all. It was a tough argument, seeing as the creature, from what Hina could understand, had the heart of every girl in the room including Genkai who had apparently been keeping it as a pet in the woods.

They did, indeed, dock around noon. As the ferry was tied up again, teams could be heard making their way down to the ramp. As they threw away their sandwich wrappers and prepared to disembark, everyone pulled their satchels tight to their chests. Inside Hiei's cloak, Buson whimpered. Hiei rubbed him gently. Hina wondered how Buson would fair in the hotel while his master was submitted for torture in the ring below. But Hiei seemed determined to keep Buson with him, as if Buson held some sort of hold on his soul. Hina was certain the little animal gave him a strange piece of man that perhaps even Yukina could not obtain. For even Yukina's relationship with Hiei was tainted by his shame and regret. Yet when it came to the little dog, Hiei's relationship was pure. Buson knew nothing, assumed nothing, only knowing that Hiei was a good person. Perhaps the best. Maybe Hiei needed that... Needed someone to think of him as only good. Perhaps it gave him a hope to aspire to... an ideal to become.

Once they were off the ramp, the group moved as one to the unloading dock where they stuck together like animals in fear of hunters. Hiei kept a firm hand over his chest, using his sword like a barring tool in case any demons noticed the strange squirming in his scarf. But their fears did not stop when it came to other teams. Hina noticed that at the base of the mountain slope were a pack of cars, all of them escorting teams up in groups thru a winding and dirty road. Never before had there been cars on the island. Certainly not cars with this... men and demons alike, all of them carrying rifles, spears, and even clubs. It was like a miniature army at the base of the island.

"...What the hell..?" Yusuke whispered.

"Just keep calm." Koenma sucked on his pacifier feverishly as he spoke. It was clear to Hina that this was far from the ordinary... When she had been here last, there had never been trucks, guns, guards... none of this had existed. The hotel was the only thing that Hina remembered... the hotel and the stadium. Both were still there.

They moved forward as one, holding tight to one another to keep from being taunted by other teams.

"If you'll all get on board." A guard from a jeep stepped down with a grim smile, "We'll take you up to the main hotel."

They did as he instructed, clambering up into the back of the jeep explorer, sitting on the edges as close together as they could manage. Hina noticed several men clutch their guns a little tighter as their team moved to get on the jeep. Did they think them violent?

"Forgive me, sir." Koenma spoke up hesitantly, "You're men seem a bit on edge."

"Right now... We all are." The guard answered, his voice as grim as his smile. Hina shifted a little closer to Yukina, putting her arm protectivly around her young daughter as the jeep started up and they began their treck up to the main hotel.

Hiei and Kuwabara shared a glance. It was clear to them that this was Tarukane's doing. Was he attempting to frighten them?

"Yusuke..." Keiko spoke up, noticing the pale color in Yusuke's cheeks, "Are you okay?"

Yusuke held her tightly, resting his head a little on her shoulder as if feeling ill, "Yeah." He muttered, "I'm fine. I'm fine."

Shizuru shivered from her spot next to Botan and Kuwabara. "Somethings... different..." She predicted, looking clammy and pale, "Something's waiting for us up there. Something bad."

"Bad like how?" Yukina asked, fearful.

"A..." Shizuru pinched her eyes shut, as if trying to see into her inner mind, "A... Man. A man with... a fire..." She broke down, clutching her forehead as if in pain, "I'm sorry, it's all very fuzzy."

Hina thought of the grated fire in her dream. The fire she and Yukiei had tossed Hiei and Yukina into. She shivered.

"Don't be." Yusuke smiled, "it's just the tournament. Probably some asshole trying to scare us."

As they passed by enormous bins, cleaned yet foul in odor, Hina remembered the enormous barrol of the dead from her dream. They were getting closer now to the main hotel, and it was all as she had remembered. The enormous undergrowth, the wild demons that glowered out at them thru the thicket of the underbrush, the tenseness, the fear, the heightened anxiety, the knowing you could very well die.

the jeep took them thru, one team at a time, into the hotel grounds. Yukina huddled close to Hina, slightly afraid. As they went inside, they cast each other fearful looks. Hiei's hand was tight on the hilt of his sword, and Kurama held a glistening rose between white knuckled fingers. They were preparing for battle and the fight hadn't even begun.

"Everyone remain calm.." Koenma urged, "Everyone remain calm."

But it was impossible to avoid the fear. They passed thru three arches, full of guards that looked down at them from heavily locked gates. As they passed thru the final ones and made it onto the grounds of the hotel, the iron gates slammed shut behind them. The jeep shut off, and the guards driving them hopped out of their seats.

"Welcome to Hanging Neck Island Hotel." the guard gave them a wary smile, "Your tickets?" One at a time their team filled off the truck, handing them their ticket as they passed with their satchels and weapons tight to their sides. "Team Urameshi?" The guard asked. Yusuke nodded, "Good to see you back again. The reigning champions eh? You'll be staying in our best rooms at the top of the hotel. Courtesy of the new committee. If you'll follow me, I'll take you up to the hotel lobby."

"We can walk ourselves." Hiei snapped.

"'Fraid you can't." The guard shook his head, "Protocol."

The hotel was grand, gleaming white in the overhead sun. Far off, waves splashed on the rocks and birds sang in the air. It could have been very peaceful, if the circumstances had been different. Hina kept close to her children, making sure Buson was still hidden in Hiei's chest and Yukina wasn't trembling. They walked inside the arched doors of the grand hotel to behold a lovely sight. Crystal chandeliers, exotic carpets on the floors, brass lamps on the walls, butlers passing out flutes of champagne to the rich and elite that were sprawled out in rich leather chairs around roaring fires... the entire place was like a castle. Behind the front desk, a demoness with horns and a sweet smile gave them a warm welcome. Her skin was purple.

"Welcome to Hanging Neck Island Hotel Socashta." The demoness extended a three fingered hand, "May I have your room cards?" They gave them to her. Hina pulled hers out of her obi, getting strange looks from Botan all the while. "Team Urameshi!" She smiled even wider (if it were possible) How wonderful to see you again! You'll be staying in the top suit. Your room suits are numbers 666 and 667. Your floor is 13. top of the building. Your fights start tomorrow at eight o clock sharp in the main stadium located to the left of this hotel. You will be escorted by guards. Protocol. These are your fighters badges." She printed them out from a thick machine so that the shiny plastic was warm under the fingers of the four men. She gave Hiei a long hard look as she passed him his card. Their eyes locked. It was as if she was trying to tell him something as he took the badge from her. "... If you'll all follow your escorts, we'll set you up in your rooms. Enjoy your stay."

"Oh we will." Yusuke grumbled, "Thank you." He took the keys for their rooms from her and gave them to his team. "Here guys." Yusuke tried to keep their conversations quiet, but it was almost impossible, "Keys to the room."

"Doesn't this strike you as odd?" Keiko whispered. "Guards everywhere?"

They were moved along as they spoke.

"Let's try not to think about it." Botan mumbled, "It gives me the willies."

"Did anyone else notice the room number significance." Kurama's voice was grave those his expression was just as calm as ever.

"It didn't pass me by." Hiei added.

"It's creeping me out!" Kuwabara's eyes were about to bug out of his head, "Hotel's aren't supposed to have a thirteenth floor man. It's bad luck!"

"Like I said, let's try not to think about it." Botan spoke up again, "It gives me the willies!"

The guard took them to a large and lavish elevator, so that they all squeezed inside, desperate not to be split apart. The guard pressed the thirteenth button, and without warning the doors slammed shut and they were shot upwards to the very top floor. For five seconds, everything was chaos, as Shizuru and Botan nearly fell down. George the ogre held on tight to Koenma (as if that was a good idea) while Hiei grabbed Yukina's hand to hold her upright. Keiko even gasped, taken aback by the fast speed. With a strange ding, the elevator stopped to an abrupt halt. The doors opened wide to show them an exquisite entrance foyer where two doors sat to the left and right around an oval shaped room. A stand was in the middle, bearing lavish flowers.

"Holy shit that was fast." Yusuke cursed as they stumbled out of the elevator.

"Yusuke!" Keiko reprimanded.

"You ever seen an elevator move that fast?" He demanded, still shaken up.

"They're new." The guard explained, "As you can see, these rooms are divided into two suits. 666, the boys wing, is to your left. 667, the girls wing, is to your right. You are all invited to dinner tonight with the committee in the hotel parlor suit A. If you'll go inside, you'll find we've supplied you with tuxes and dresses. WE hoped you wouldn't mind, but money is as money does."

The guard didn't look too happy. As he turned to go, Yusuke caught his arm, pulling him aside slightly so that he could speak to the guard in private.

"...Let me ask you something." Yusuke muttered low, " Is this normal? Tuxes? Fast elevators? Guards everywhere? Is this regular?"

"Hell no." the guard griped, "The new committee really created something creepy here. We've been forced into these positions. I was damn happier at the main gate throwing out trespassers, but now I'm a butler. Still, you are supposed to have nicer rooms than the rest of the team. You are, after all, the reigning champions."

"Did Toguro get this last year?" Yusuke asked in a dead whisper so that even the guard strained to hear. It seemed that even after all this time, Yusuke did not like to speak the name aloud.

"Yes he did. And much more. Matter of fact, you're living like paupers compared to him, but we've done our backgrounds checks on all of you, and I think you'll find it to your tastes."

"Background checks?" It seemed that even the tiniest whisper could not escape Hiei's ears. He glared at the guard.

"... That's right..." the guard gave Hiei a grim smile, just like the driver of the jeep, and the girl behind the front desk, "Very extensive. You see... You're the reigning champions. So we have to not only protect you from demons who want revenge. We have to protect weaker players from you. What if you decide to knock off the competition quickly? Try to score an easy victory?"

"You clearly did not look us up that well if you think Hiei would ever be so dishonorable." Hina snapped angrily. How many times would she have to deal with men who thought her son was a loaded canon?

"Not saying you would!" The guard was taken aback, "But it is-"

"Protocol." Kurama finished with the obvious answer. "Thank you for escorting us, you may leave now."

The guard grimaced, stepping back into the elevator and throwing the switch so that the doors closed. Without another word, he was gone.

"We might as well see what awaits us." Kurama took his key and slid it smoothly into the lock. With a click, the door swung wide open. Hina did the same for her own suit.

"Oh my..." Hina whispered, stepping forward along with the rest of the girls. "Look at this."

The entire room was as lavish as that of a princess's parlor. There were beautiful sofas, coffee tables, paintings, china... all of it was laid out with exquisite taste. The main room served as a lounging area and as a kitchenette in the back where an efficiency room gave them a range top, a refrigerator, a microwave, a sink, and a few cupboards as well. Down a long hallway there were many rooms that divided off, and a bathroom at the end of the hall.

"It's a palace." Yukina whispered, setting her satchel down.

"An evil palace." Hina corrected her daughter, "It frightens me."

"It's like we're royalty to these people." Botan added, shocked.

"Look!" Keiko had made the find, spotting a rolling coat rack in the corner with large dresses covered in clear plastic bags, "Look at all these dresses!"

"I've never worn a dress in my life and I aint startin now!" Shizuru snapped.

"Oh Shizuru." Botan sighed, "Won't you at least _try _one on? You never know, you may like it!"

"Shit." Shizuru cursed, rolling her eyes and lighting a cigarette, "As if."

Hina was not one to stay put, exploring down the hallway with wary eyes. She was on the lookout for cameras, traps, anything that the enemy might have concealed to discover their movements. She checked behind the doors. She looked in the corner of each room... but nothing could be seen. It was very bizarre. In the bathroom, she tapped on the walls, wondering if there were microphones inside. She was shocked to discover the walls were hollow. "These walls are hollow!" She called out to the others.

"What?" Keiko walked down the hallway to investigate.

"Listen!" Hina tapped on the walls. After a second, tapping could be heard back. "Boys is that you?"

From the other side, there came a muffled shout from Kurama, "Yes!"

"This is bizarre." Hina worried. She opened the medicine cabinet to find it full of fancy soaps and perfumes. "Keiko, help me pull this out."

"Pull it out?" Keiko squawked.

"Don't be a goose." Hina demanded, and so Keiko went to the other side meekly. She took the cabinet by the edges. "One, two-"

_**(On the other side) **_

"Hiei!" Kurama called out to Hiei who was investigating behind the doors for cameras, "Give me a hand!"

Hiei was quick to respond. They took each side of the medicine cabinet and with expert hands the began to pull. "One, two-"

_**(On the other side) **_

"Three!"

The medicine cabinet gave at the same time. Hina and Keiko peered with shocked faces thru the newfound hole at Kurama and Hiei.

"Coming thru!" Hina was not one to sit around. She clambered thru the new hole, Hiei helping her out all the way. "Thank goodness for this. Now we can talk to one another if we need to."

"It may come in handy." Kurama added.

"You sure they won't mind?" Keiko asked from the other side, holding up broken perfume bottles and smashed fancy soaps.

"Who cares?" Hiei snapped, "Their fucking rich! They'll pay for it." He pulled Hina down the boys hallway. "Take a look at this." he said to his mother.

"Oh my god."

"Yeah."

The whole place was covered in riches even finer than the girls foyer. A roaring fire was going in the grate, stifling the room. There were pictures on the walls of reigning teams before them, including the Toguro team. He was pointing at the viewers with a thick finger.

"Is he welcoming us in, or showing us the way out?" Yusuke grumbled.

"Let's not think about it." Kuwabara shivered. "It gives me the creeps."

"What do your tuxes look like?" Hina asked, wondering if they had a coat rack similar to the girls. They did indeed, with four tuxes all lined up in a row. Genkai sat in the corner reading a book that had been left on the lavish tables. She had a small kimono of black at the very end of the row. Hina felt a little comforted to know that Genkai wasn't worried. Hina decided that when Genkai became worried, she too would become worried.

"They're frickin silk!" Yusuke crowed like a rooster.

"These are very nice.." Hina looked at each of them, seeing that some had different colored ties, "They have your names on them?"

"Someone clearly did their homework." Kurama stroked his own tux thoughtfully, "It is rather unnerving."

"You got that right." Kuwabara examined his own tux. It was powder blue with a matching tie, "What if this is all some-"

"Huge set up?" Hiei finished his thought, "My thoughts exactly."

"Well..." Hina sat down on the couch next to Genkai who scooted over to give her room, "I remember the last time I was here, Yukiei's team was given high treatment. But there weren't guards or tuxes. I remember Geisha's came to dance for them." At that she grimaced. That had been the first night she'd danced for Yukiei. The first night he'd kissed her in the hallway, letting his tongue roam around her mouth, consuming her and dragging her down into a pool of lust.

"Maybe we'll get lucky." Hiei offered. Hina _whapped_ him lightly.

"Hush." She reprimanded her son. "Settle in. We'll use the new window to get thru to one another. When it comes time for dinner we'll get ready together. We don't have to be unnerved or afraid. If there is someone here with an ulterior motive..." Hina gave Hiei a knowing look, "Let them come. They can't be anything worse than you've already faced."

"Nothing was worse than Sensui." Yusuke agreed. "Thanks Hina."

"No problem." Hina gave him a motherly smile. "Hiei... may I talk to you in private?"

Hiei nodded, and the pair of them went into his bedroom. After Hiei had locked the door, they turned to face one another: Mother and son.

"Tarukane is behind this." Hina whispered.

Outside the door, Kurama was passing by, his satchel over his shoulder.

"I know." Hiei agreed.

Kurama paused, leaning into the door a little to hear what was being said on the other side.

"He wants you to feel safe." Hina continued, "He doesn't know that you know his plans. Use that to your advantage. Beat him at his own game. When we go down to dinner tonight... if he is there... act surprised."

"Yukina will be overcome with fear." Hiei thought aloud, "I have to protect her."

"I will take care of your sister." Hina cut him off. "You just make sure that _you _are ready."

"I'm always ready." Hiei sneered, "Gonzo Tarukane... will that bastard ever die?"

On the other side of the door, Kurama all but gagged on his own tongue. _"What?" _

"Did you hear that?" Hiei asked. Kurama moved away without another word as Hina opened the door to see who had made that noise. Back in the common room, Kurama sat with his head in his hands, pale and uncomfortable in the heat.

"Hey Kurama, what's up?" Yusuke asked, "You look pale."

"..Nothing." Kurama grimaced. "Yusuke would you help me... do..." Kurama looked from side to side, trying to figure out a way to talk to Yusuke in private without Koenma, George, Kuwabara, or Genkai catching on. "That thing we were talking bout earlier?"

"_Masturbate?" _Yusuke was agog.

"No!" Kurama snarled, his voice nearly reminiscent of Youko. "God..." He smacked his palm to his forehead, "Yusuke." He fixed his leader with a glare, "I need to talk to you."

Yusuke was the one looking pale now. "Right." the pair of them moved to Kurama's room where Kurama slammed the door shut, his hands sweaty and his fingers trembling. Could it be true? Could it really be true?

"Listen man, I like you as a-"

"Shuttup, you freaking moron!" Kurama snapped, thinking of the look on Kuronue's face had he ever heard such a comment. His poor love would have been doubled over laughing. "It's nothing like that! I just overhead Hina and Hiei discussing a certain someone as if they weren't dead!"

"They're weird like that." Yusuke shrugged his shoulders, "They're like the Addams' family if you think about it. I wonder what Hiei's dad was like-"

"Do you want to know _who?" _Kurama demanded, glowering.

"I'll bite." Yusuke nodded, "Who?"

"Gonzo Tarukane. The man who kidnapped Yukina."

"What?"

"They were talking about Gonzo Tarukane as if he was alive, as if-"

"Team Tarukane!" Yusuke smacked his own forehead in shock, "Kurama, Chuu mentioned Team Tarukane to me! What if it's the same Tarukane? But... But I thought he was dead!"

"Keep your ears out." Kurama advised, "Something is amiss here, and I suspect Hiei and Hina already know more than they're telling."

"Shit man." Yusuke cursed, pulling at his own hair, "Shit! I can't do another reincarnation! What if Toguro's next? What if Sensui-"

"Take it easy-" Kurama seized Yusuke's hands, pulling them free of his hair. "It may just be another-"

"Gonzo Tarukane who kidnaps a girl named Yukina who happens to be related to a guy named Hiei?" Yusuke sneered, "How many fuckers are there in the world?"

"...Take it easy." Kurama rubbed Yusuke's shoulders. He remember Kuronue often acting like this when times were tough. He remember Kuronue even breaking down once, crying and insisting that God must not exist if so much evil was allowed to continue in the world. Kurama closed his eyes, remembering how that night they had lain together in one of Youko's many dens, wrapped tight around one another and listening to the rain hammering on the cave around them. They had made love tenderly. Kurama had been trying to prove a point... Perhaps God did not exist. But love did. Surely that made life worth living.

_**(Scene Break) **_

"Everyone unpacked?" Genkai asked as Buson squirmed joyfully in her lap.

"Yeah." Yusuke was sitting at the edge of the couch, his face in his hands. Hina had left about two hours ago, and now the boys were sitting in the foyer, trying to relax. Kurama and Yusuke kept glaring at Hiei who was sitting on the floor, rubbing Buson's belly in a soothing nature as the little pup yipped and nibbled playfully at his fingers.

"Good." Genkai rose up, taking her kimono from the coat rack, "Get dressed. It's time."

She unwrapped herself in the corner of the room, with expert speed. Yusuke kept his eyes away from the corner, not wanting to be traumatized by saggy grandmother breasts. He'd already had a rough day as it was. They took their tuxes from the rack. Hiei let Buson run amuck on the floor, nibbling at the edges of chairs and rolling about on the carpet in joy.

"Hiei..." Yusuke kept an eye on Hiei as he undressed, "Has anything... new happened?"

"New?" Hiei grumbled, taking of his black tunic and draping it over the sofa. He stretched, letting his joints pop and his muscles flex as he pulled his white shirt out from the plastic wrapping, observing it with a sneer.

"New as in relative to the team." Yusuke could not stop himself. "To our interests. Anyone made an appearance from the gave? Anyone risen from the dead? Anyone I'd _need to know about?" _

Kuwabara and Hiei gave each other a quick look... could it be possible...?

"What are you squalling about now?" Hiei growled.

"what gives, Urameshi?" Kuwabara bluffed.

"Anyone named Gonzo Tarukane?" Yusuke demanded in a louder voice.

Hiei, Kuwabara, and Genkai all swapped a look.

"...So there is something we need to know." Kurama supplied, none too pleased

"Shit!" Yusuke shrieked, throwing his hands up in the air and nearly popping a button on his white shirt, "Who else knew about this!"

"STOP YELLING!" Hiei was ontop of Yusuke, clamping a hand over his mouth before he could continue to rant. "If Yukina hears you, she will panic. If you scare my sister, I swear to God I'll rip out your throat!"

Yusuke pulled Hiei's hand off of his mouth.

"Easy." He regained his composure. "Easy big guy."

"I'm with Hiei!" Kuwabara agreed angrily, buttoning up his shirt. "Don't scare my poor Yukina."

"Since when did you two become a double team?" Yusuke demanded. This was quite unlike the Hiei and Kuwabara he knew, the pair that always argued, never agreed. Hiei said nothing, unwilling to share with Yusuke the private conversation he and Kuwabara had had. It was between them.

"Yukina." Hiei supplied. It was a good enough answer.

"So Tarukane is alive?" Yusuke asked, buttoning up his slacks and tightening them at the waist.

"...Yes." Hiei sighed, "And that's not all. He wants me to make Hiroseke's for him."

"What?" Yusuke couldn't take many more surprises.

"Can you make them?" Kurama asked unsure.

"I don't know." Hiei finished pulling up his pants, zipping them up and tightening them around his thin waist. "I suspect not. I've never cried in my lifetime. I doubt I have the ability."

"...Everyone can cry, Hiei." Kurama sighed. "Even you."

"Don't be so sure, Kurama." Hiei sighed, straightening his collar.

"Tarukane is in charge of the tournament this year. That's why everything has such a lavish taste to it. I suggest you keep your guard up at all times. If last year was any indication of corrupt committees, we're in for another long haul." Genkai spoke up from the corner.

"Shit man..." Yusuke cursed again, "I thought we were done with this bullshit!"

"Take it easy." Kuwabara sighed, "Don't worry. We'll be fine."

"We?" Yusuke grumbled. "Yeah. Him?" He pointed to Hiei, "I'm not so sure."

"_Him _will be _fine." _Hiei snarled. "Asshole."

A silence fell as Hiei yanked on his over jacket, and put on a pair of cufflinks.

"...Hiei..." Kurama sensed a deep disturbance in his old friend. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." Hiei lied. He hadn't told them about Bui and he didn't intend to. Something about Bui's visit had shifted his feelings towards the man. He wondered where he was now and if he was safe. Moving out to the window, Hiei looked out on the darkened grounds of Hanging Neck Island. The last time they'd been here, Hiei had had nothing to live for. Now, he had plenty... Plenty to live for... plenty to loose.

He missed Mukuro.

_**(Scene Break) **_

"Hold still, Yukina. I'll zip you up. Don't you look lovely."

Yukina squirmed just as bad as Buson. "I'm so excited!" Her dress was a lovely pale blue, much like her kimono. But it's V-front gave her a lovely shape, showing off her curves in a way her kimono never could.

"Why is that?" Hina laughed, zipping her up from behind and fixing her hair. With Yukina's ribbon between her teeth, she combed her hair with a hair brush and straightened her bangs.

"I've never worn clothes this pretty before... And my brother is here somewhere! I can sense it! This year he'll come to the tournament. Don't you worry, mother! We'll all be together soon enough." Yukina was utterly sure of it, bouncing around on the balls of her feet and twirling in her new dress.

"...I hope so, darling... I truly hope so."

Hina turned away, sighing. She had to put on her own dress, and felt slightly ashamed dressing in front of these lovely women. They were all in their prime, and who was she? She was an old lady. Practically Genkai's age.

Well... Maybe not _that _old.

"Don't be sad, Hina. Hiei will tell her one day." Botan gave her a smile as she zipped up her fluffy pink dress, trying to flounce and keep her composure as she threw the straps over her shoulders and pushed her breasts together.

"I know my son, Botan. He'll never tell her. Zip me up?"

"Of course, Hina." Botan was quick at work. Hina's dress was much different than Yukina's. A wild red with long ripples that extended to the floor, making her look much taller than she actually was. Botan zipped her up, "Oh, Hina... You look like a dream."

Hina grumbled, undoing her hair and letting her aquamarine locks fall around her shoulders. She took he red ribbon (with it's knives hidden) and tied it in a loose ponytail which she laid over her shoulder.

"This dress looks like the one I wore to my wedding. Just a different color. And I didn't have this ridiculous sash." Hina looked at it with disdain. In the mirror, she tried to imagine Yukiei behind her, putting a hand on her shoulder. She touched the spot. "Yukiei..." she whispered to herself.

"How do I look?" Keiko was dressed in a white gown, which she smoothed with smart hands.

"Smashing!" Botan squeeled. "Yusuke will be a gooey gumdrop when he sees you like that!"

Keiko blushed, "Oh hush. Yusuke wouldn't be gooey if you stuck him in the microwave."

"Don't be so sure. You know how much he loves you." Botan wagged her finger.

Shizuru, on the other hand, was having a very hard time. Her navy blue dress was gorgeous, but she was tugging and pulling at it as if it was a vile thing.

"This is bullshit!" She cursed, seething, "This is fucking bullshit! Fuck this shit, man! I can't take this anymore!" She tried to rip off the dress, but Hina stopped her at once.

"Shizuru!" Hina halted her seizing hands. "You'll rip it..." Hina soothed her. "Why don't you like to wear dresses?"

"...My mother used to wear them."

"Used to?"

Shizuru sighed, shifting from foot to foot. "... She died. When I was real young. She used to put me in dresses all the time. Now I can't stand to put them on because it makes me think about her. How she used to be."

Hina paused, pursing her lips. She looked over her shoulder at Yukina who was twirling and gazing at herself in the mirror with pride. She thought of her own mother, a tall and severe koorime with hard eyes and even harder rules. But she had shaped Hina into an educated person, and she had given her all the tools she needed in life to show her how to be her own woman... to not live in fear like the other Koorime.

"... Turn a little." Hina asked, and Shizuru complied. Hina fixed the brooch that was falling in Shizuru's hair as she spoke, "When I was a little girl in the Glacier Valley, sometimes a maiden would die and her daughter would be left alone. But the village would band together, and every mother would take turns nursing her, loving her, giving her shelter, clothes, teaching her skills... It took a village to raise a child. And so we did. I saw girls without their mothers, crying and cutting off their hair, tearing their clothes, biting people when they tried to touch them. They didn't want to be loved. They wanted their own mother back. They knew they could never have them again... so they lost themselves to despair. You know what I did?"

Shizuru paused, a little unsure. "...What?"

"This." Hina embraced Shizuru at once, holding her tight. For a minute, Shizuru stiffened in shock, but slowly melted, letting her own hands come around Hina's back. "I held them. That's all it took. Sometimes when a daughter looses her mother, all she needs is a hug to remind her her mother is there, watching down on her and wanting her to try all of life, to experience every joy it has to offer. I think you're mother might be the same way. Don't be angry to try things, Shizuru. To put on dresses... to wear make up. To put up your hair. To date nice boys. Don't be angry at the world for taking away your mother. Don't be angry at your mother for leaving... be happy with the time you had."

Hina pulled back from the hug, fixing Shizuru with a small smile. She knew what it meant to be a mother.

"...Thank you." Shizuru whispered. It was clear no one had ever held her like that, or spoken to her in such a way.

Hina nodded firmly, "Being held is all it takes. Now." Hina sighed, "Stand still. You unzipped yourself." She zipped Shizuru straight up, patting her down for surity. "There. What a lovely young lady you are. So tall. So elegant." She looked behind her to see most of the girls staring at her. "... Shall we go?"

"Yes." Botan smiled with newfound respect for Hina, "Lets."

They met in the common foyer where a guard was waiting by the elevator expectantly.

"Right this way gents." The guard waved a hand. "We'll be going to level four... the committee is waiting."

"Keiko..." Yusuke was agog. "You look beautiful."

"Thanks." Keiko blushed. Without a warning, she kissed Yusuke fondly on the cheek. Yusuke grinned like the fool he was.

Kuwabara on the other hand was much less smooth in his approach. He fell to his knees at the sight of Yukina, flower in hand and heart on his sleeve, "YUKINA! MY LOVE!" he shrieked, "swear to this day I've never seen a more enchanting sight than you now! You are more beautiful than a cherry blossom in the spring! Than a perfect snowflake in winter! Than-"

Hiei passed him, yanking him back up to his feet and shoving him into the elevator.

"A shiny new bruise on your eye!" Hiei jeered.

"That too!" Kuwabara agreed, not skipping a beat.

"Thank you Kazuma!" Yukina joined him in the elevator so that they wrapped arms. "You look very handsome." She hugged him without further ado.

_She's hugging me! She's admitting her feelings for me! _Kuwabara thought to himself, overjoyed.

_Silly sweet boy... _Yukina thought to herself _I wonder if he talks to everyone this way... _

"Come on, come on." Hina lead all the other girls into the elevator, catching her sons eye. Hiei smiled. Hina smiled back appraisingly. Her son look the perfect image of a gentlemen, though his tie was a little crooked. Reaching out, Hina straightened it at once. Hiei gave her a scathing look.

"Shizuru." Hiei spoke up, seeing her dress. "Are you wearing a dress?"

"Yeah, you wanna make something of it?" Shizuru growled still as menacing in high heels.

"No. I just never thought I'd see you in a dress." Hiei held up his hands in surrender.

"Neither did I man." Shizuru sighed as the elevator closed and began to descend, "Neither did I."

When the doors opened again, they were in a dining hall full of elegantly dressed people. Hina was on edge, expecting to see Tarukane at any moment. But they were lead thru the staring crowd all the way to the back to a pair of elegantly carved oak doors. Two butlers stood on either side, their hands on the door knobs. Before they opened them, Hiei's nerves got the better of him.

"Yukina"

"Yes?"

"Whatever you may see.. whatever you may hear... I just want you to know, to understand that we're here. That all of us are here. That nothing can happen to you. No matter what you see." Hiei trembled a little. Yukina's brow furrowed in slight worry.

"...Hiei?" Yukina asked, afraid. What did he know that she didn't?

The butlers were opening the doors.

"...Try your very hardest not to scream" Hiei whispered.

The doors opened. The committee was sitting before them at an elegant table laid with the best silverware, the most elegant plates, only the finest crystal glasses. A low chandelier hung over the entire table... the head of which was taken up by a sloth of a man, greedy and vulgar.

"Welcome boys..." Tarukane bared his yellow teeth, "I've been waiting..."

_**(End Scene) **_

_**What a shit I am. Another cliff hanger. I'll post my next chapter as soon as I am able, but I'm going to be on the move this weekend, moving from Alabama to Florida. My house was destroyed by the tornado. **_

_**Here's something fun! Want to see what the girls dresses looked like? **_

_**Yukina: **__**.com/imgres?imgurl=.&imgrefurl=.com/Beautiful-blue-Quinceanera-Dress-9772_blue_&usg=_WLgbhGfx15jmJkvCe6eHawudMN0=&h=750&w=600&sz=279&hl=en&start=21&zoom=1&tbnid=AWVLSe10B8uhkM:&tbnh=136&tbnw=112&ei=q-K6TbqhPM2Btge9sbHeBQ&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dbeautiful%2Bblue%2Bgowns.%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DX%26biw%3D1139%26bih%3D729%26tbm%3Disch%26prmd%3Divns0%2C550&itbs=1&iact=rc&dur=426&page=2&ndsp=31&ved=1t:429,r:18,s:21&tx=55&ty=75&biw=1139&bih=729**_

_**Botan: **__**.com/imgres?imgurl=.&imgrefurl=.com/2011/02/18/beautiful-pink-wedding-dresses/&usg=_TWunQsZbS-FNg2aIgrw84640xaQ=&h=500&w=350&sz=48&hl=en&start=0&zoom=1&tbnid=Qepgu513bzTSEM:&tbnh=156&tbnw=109&ei=CuO6Tdn3DpGXtwfH7oy8BQ&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dbeautiful%2Bpink%2Bdresses%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DX%26biw%3D1139%26bih%3D729%26tbm%3Disch%26prmd%3Divns&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=371&vpy=174&dur=364&hovh=159&hovw=111&tx=67&ty=170&page=1&ndsp=22&ved=1t:429,r:2,s:0**_

_**Keiko: **__**.com/imgres?imgurl=.com/il_430xN.&imgrefurl=&usg=_Z0OsF_66Lh2da9xo1tEyzGNyEkk=&h=638&w=430&sz=62&hl=en&start=21&zoom=1&tbnid=2IlpupPtRGFnvM:&tbnh=138&tbnw=95&ei=OeO6TeSgBIKXtwfW2sziBQ&prev=/search%3Fq%3DGorgeous%2Bdresses%26hl%3Den%26biw%3D1139%26bih%3D729%26site%3Dsearch%26tbm%3Disch0%2C447&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=653&vpy=350&dur=2068&hovh=274&hovw=184&tx=97&ty=158&page=2&ndsp=31&ved=1t:429,r:13,s:21&biw=1139&bih=729**_

_**Shizuru: **__**.com/imgres?imgurl=.&imgrefurl=.net/2011/04/20/gorgeous-prom-dresses/&usg=_zmp3IJmaQVDeWsh5oeiOMFODfrY=&h=505&w=320&sz=52&hl=en&start=0&zoom=1&tbnid=sVCq0ox6a-v9EM:&tbnh=149&tbnw=105&ei=-OO6Tdn1I8yEtgeImenHBQ&prev=/search%3Fq%3DGorgeous%2Bprom%2Bdresses%26hl%3Den%26biw%3D1139%26bih%3D729%26tbm%3Disch&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=248&vpy=214&dur=670&hovh=282&hovw=179&tx=108&ty=129&page=1&ndsp=23&ved=1t:429,r:1,s:0**_

_**And of course... Hina: **__**.com/imgres?imgurl=.com/display_pic_with_logo/307789/307789,1229801294,&imgrefurl=.&usg=_a4SawfkUgBm_IfEfY-v5T9vs3xM=&h=470&w=300&sz=81&hl=en&start=21&zoom=1&tbnid=HY7L5WvPBim6jM:&tbnh=135&tbnw=93&ei=xOO6TYevH-Tt0gHj3si4BQ&prev=/search%3Fq%3DGorgeous%2Bred%2Bdresses%26hl%3Den%26biw%3D1139%26bih%3D729%26site%3Dsearch%26tbm%3Disch0%2C439&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=402&vpy=240&dur=1046&hovh=281&hovw=179&tx=76&ty=190&page=2&ndsp=35&ved=1t:429,r:3,s:21&biw=1139&bih=729**_


	11. The Family that Slays Together

_**Well well well. I hope nobody minded the slightly longer update. I've moved to Florida since my house was destroyed in the Tuscaloosa tornado... obviously, it's be difficult. Anyways, here she be! You'll be seeing some interesting new characters for a couple of reasons. One, I wanted to incorporate Japanese myths, and urban legends. You will be seeing Kayako (The Grudge Series), Mrs. Li (Three Extremes: Dumplings), Taoko (Carved: Slit Mouthed Woman), Akogi (The Inferno), and even Santi (The Devils Backbone). I urge you to check out these movie titles and take a look at the characters. I brought them in for a reason. I wanted to show Japanese culture in the new Tarukane Team. Anyways... A few things I wanted to clear up. There are a few pairings that are obvious in this novel length fic. Here they are, in no particular order: Yusuke/Keiko, Kuwabara/Yukina, Hiei/Mukuro, Kurama/Kuronue, Hina/Yukiei. There is yaoi. Kurama/Kuronue. So if you don't like that... suck my d*ck hahahah get the heck out. **_

_**Enjoy. **_

_**(Scene Break) **_

The entire team stared at Tarukane with eyes wide in shock. As close as they were, never before until now had all thirteen of them been on the same thought at the same moment... 'Whose going first'...?

"Yukina..." Hiei whispered so slow that even she had to strain to hear, "I'm so sorry. I didn't want you to be scared."

"To late for that." She whimpered, her red eyes glistening with fear.

"We're all right here." Hiei tried to assure her, "No one is going to let him hurt you. But if you show fear, you're giving him just what he wants-!"

"...Come sit down beautiful." Tarukane patted the velvet red seat of a chair, "I've been waiting to see you."

He was just as ugly and as crude as ever. His thick royal purple suit was crisp and made of only the finest fabrics. His red tie of delicate silk hung tight over his enormous girth. His drooping cheeks, full of pooled fat, hung so low past his cheek bones that they almost touched his shoulders. Atop his head sat a knot, where Hiei hoped and prayed that someone had smacked the living hell of out him.

He wasn't alone (what bastard ever was?). At his side sat two men, both of them just as greedy and as vile as their ring leader. As the team sat down, Hiei judged the other two men up for size. The man on his left hard hard eyes that were dark amber, which seemed to glisten with dark thoughts of dark deeds. He wore a black tux of common thread, but there was something about him that insisted he was far from common at all. His long black hair was bound tight in a flipped pony tail, so that his locks were pressed tight against his skull. He looked like a skeleton.

On Tarukane's right, was another man. More sinewy than the other two, and certainly more pale, the man had a regal air about him that the other two did not possess in their candor. His eyes were just as green as Kurama's half lidded and bored looking. His hair was greying, clearly the man was old. It fell down almost past his waist. His bony fingers were laced on the table before him, and as each of the girls sat down the man seemed to grin lazily with a perverted smile... as if he knew what they might look like without their clothing. Hiei sat next to Yukina, putting himself between her and Tarukane. Yusuke was just as un eager to get Keiko close, and Hiei noticed that under the table they laced fingers as if preparing to battle together. Kurama didn't seem that bothered, and as he sat down he even managed a bitter smile. That was to say, he managed to pull his lips up in a crooked flick that might or might not have been pleasant. With Kurama, one could never be sure.

"They say evil never dies." Yukina's voice was chocking cold and uncouth in comparison to her normal nature. "I guess it's true." She did not look at Gonzo Tarukane and instead stared straight at the wall. There were five empty seats at the table, and Hiei wondered if they would be filled by more thugs later.

"My name is Gonzo Tarukane..." Tarukane gave them a lazy smile, "Course, some of you here already know that. This is now my island... Isn't it beautiful?" He beckoned with a wave of a hand.

"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder." Yukina sneered shrewdly.

"Yes it is..." Tarukane was heinous, even going so far as to lick his puffed out lips, "I've missed you baby. Have you missed me?"

"Do you have tacky food to go with your tacky jokes?" Yukina snapped angrily, her normally sweet eyes blazing with hard fury just like that of her brother, "We have our own kitchenette you know."

Tarukane bust out into peals of laughter, banging his fat fist on the table so that all their glasses rattled warily. "Frigid little thing aint she?" Both of Tarukane's thugs laughed too. "I think it's about time I introduce you two fellows to our top priority. This is Team Urameshi, our reigning champions. You all know their names?"

"I must admit I am curious to meet the famous Team Urameshi." The man on his left drawled, his amber eyes flashing, "Is it true that you were once a spirit detective?" He asked Yusuke with a lazy smile.

"Yes." Koenma answered for his top private, "He was. And with my persuasion he'll be one again someday soon."

"If he lives that long." The man added.

"You know something we don't know?" Koenma warned.

"Many things... Many many things." The man laughed.

"This is Urami." Tarukane added, gesturing to the amber eyed man. "He works for the devil."

"Clearly." Yukina muttered under her breath, taking a sip of water.

"So this is the famous Kurama..." the man on Tarukane's right even peered close as if Kurama was hiding something in the cravat of his tux. "I remember you from last year. I must say men like you are my speciality."

"Men like you?" Kurama quarried back, not giving away fear.

"Split personality disorders." The man explained. "Mind benders... nut cases."

"Quite an assumption to make." Kuwabara glowered.

The man laughed, "You misunderstand. I am not assuming, I already know. I've been following Kurama's case for a very long time. Tell me, how bad have your hallucinations grown without the proper care?"

Unbeknownst to everyone else, Kurama cast a wary look over his left shoulder. The sorrow and darkness that followed him everywhere was rooted on his shoulder, petting his crimson hair lovingly just as Kuronue used to do. It took his lovers shape, tempting him with it's bad intentions.

"Always look evil in the eye..." The ghost whispered in Kurama's ear. "Let them know you are not afraid."

While the other room watched Kurama in worry, Kurama already had his game face back on, his brief relapse but a blip on the screen.

"I suppose after your wife left you, you had to have a hobby to deal with your own suffering." Kurama jested. The man's eyes grew wide with shock.

"I beg your pardon?" He demanded.

"You have an iron stain around your finger. A green one, which tells me taht you were once married, though not to a woman of high class. A commoner." Kurama glowered, "Someone of your own rank... at the time. Tell me, how bad were _her _hallucinations?"

Kurama had clearly rattled the man. Hiei glimpsed at the man's ring finger to see there was, indeed, an iron stain.

"You are very acute." The man finally answered, clearly unnerved.

"Some would say." Kurama looked bored now.

"Excellent defense mechanisms." The man gave a nervous laugh.

"Survival instincts." Kurama corrected.

"Ah, never mind him, Senbou!" Tarukane laughed, slapping his friend on the shoulder. "He's got fangs like a viper, so don't you go barking up his tree... No I think you and I both know the bigger jewel in the picture." The two cruel men shared a look of equal greed.

"Which one of you is Hiei?" Senbou asked, clearly intrigued.

Everyone fell silent. No eyes betrayed Hiei's presence at the table, but Hiei could feel his mother shaking from a chair away.

"Who wants to know?" Botan quipped, standing up for her short friend.

"I can't be you." Urami spat evilly. The three men laughed and laughed. Their laughter was growing to be too much for Hiei to take. He wanted to stop it before the noise grated his mind.

"Don't pretend." Hiei snapped, and the laughing fell silent as all three sets of eyes turned to stare at him, "You know who I am. You've known me for a long time... Haven't you, Tarukane." Hiei looked his past opponent dead in the eye, "Remember our last conversation?"

Tarukane flinched, though only a little bit.

"Just like I've been told." Tarukane hissed, "Mean, deadly even. Temper like a dragon to match that pretty bandage on his arm. He might be smart, but he's stupid as shit when he's angry. And he has his priorities in the wrong place. He could have been at the top of the food chain by now if he'd tried. But instead he decided to mingle with the low lives. It's a shame... I planned to give him help. But he decided he'd much rather reshape my face..." Tarukane leaned back to survey Hiei up and down, "Tell me, Hiei. Have you been enjoying my latest gift?"

"I enjoy nothing that comes from you." Hiei growled.

"Not even the opportunities?" Tarukane asked coyly. Hiei paused, inwardly confused but unwilling to show it before his enemies. "... When I came out of that fine machine, and I remembered your face as I passed over into hell.. it was like a divine ray from God." Tarukane explained. "God wants me to continue my battle with you."

"God doesn't give a damn about you." Hiei growled again.

"Oh but he does." Tarukane jested, "Why else would he give us each other? He gives us both anger and power to slay and battle one another and why?" Tarukane looked at his two friends for support, "Because God loves our little battle. Our violence... Koenma thinks you can be changed, can be controlled, but I know differently. You're demonic."

"No I'm not."

"Yes you are." Tarukane cut across him, laughing again. Hiei would never admit it, but he was slowly starting to unhinge. "I know because I'm demonic."

"You don't know me." Hiei hissed.

"Oh yes I do-"

"No you-"

"Oh yes, I do!" Tarukane and Hiei cut across one another till Tarukane had the final say, and he laughed merrily as if this were a pleasant thing to discuss. "We've known each other for centuries..." Tarukane and Hiei locked eyes, both of their intentions laid clear.

The food was served by butlers in crisp suits, steaming trays of succulent meats, delectable sauces, vegetables that were ripe and ready for the plucking, bread that smelt as sweet as fresh hay... The three men piled their plates up, their glutton clear, but Team Urameshi ate slowly. Hiei, Hina, and Yukina did not eat at all, all three of them staring at one another, waiting for one of them to take the front of the fight.

"So tell me, Yusuke." Tarukane jested, "What are you going to do when you're defeated."

"You assume I'll be defeated." Yusuke growled.

"Sure I do!" Tarukane even laughed, "You haven't met my team, yet."

"No team is better than ours." Yusuke warned. Hiei felt a surge of pride for the ex-detective.

"Let's not assume we are the only ones who have strategy, Yusuke." Kurama whispered in his friends ear, "They will use that against us."

"Damn right I will!" Tarukane overhead. He laughed, clapping his hands, "Where are my girls?" He demanded, looking over his enormous shoulder, "Nothing like a bit of entertainment with your food, am I right, gentlemen?"

Women came from an oak door behind their dining table. Chained and painted, the wore little to no clothing, lounging around Tarukane's chair as if he were their savior, not their tormentor, and stroking him lovingly. He laughed.

"You know, Hiei..." Tarukane carried one, "For a man of good taste in killing, you really don't know shit about living. Look at what I've got here." Tarukane grabbed a passing girl, straddling her on his knee as if she were his daughter of sorts, he squeezed her soft and supple flesh, kissing her feverishly on the neck. "This is a fine specimen! But for all your apparent knowledge you pick a half carved whore of a girlfriend!" He exploded into laughter.

Hiei felt the ki underneath his bandages tighten as his dragon threatened to rear it's ugly head. Hiei controlled it the best he could, his own temper flaring up at once. "Sluts are everywhere." He jeered, and the girl on Tarukane's lap gave him an affronted look, "It takes a hard eye to find a true lady."

"Ah, but she aint that either!" Tarukane jested, "I hear she eats her enemies!"

"And I as well." Hiei snarled. "As the hero of our country said... prepare for battle with the taste of the enemy. Celebrate victory with a draught of his blood."

"Don't you talk, dear?" Tarukane switched tactics, now firing at Hina whose eyes flashed angrily, "Come on now, a 'true lady' has to speak from time to time..."

"There are so many things I would like to say to you." Hina's voice was deadly calm. The rest of the team looked to her for inspiration. Unlike the rest of them, she was the oldest, a mother, and more experienced. It was by her image that they would set their standard.

"Sometimes the smartest remark is silence." The girl on Tarukane's lap jeered.

"What better advice to follow than your own." Hina silenced the girl, their eyes met and Hina's icy look chilled the whore to her brittle bones.

"You're fat." the girl jested, "What have you had kids or something?"

Hina bristled, her hands underneath the table as she felt her stomach to see if it was distended. Was she overweight?

"Children are a blessing." Hina spoke idly. "My own are upstanding... My son is a hero. My daughter..." she fixed the whore with an icy stare, "Is a lady."

"You look real similar to..." Tarukane jested between she and Yukina, "Wait a minute... You're her mother, aint you?" When Hina said nothing to the contrary, Tarukane all but screamed with laughter, his tiny eyes bugging out of his prudish face. "LOOK AT THAT!" he howled, "Talk about a gold mine! Three people who can make hirosekes! I'm already a rich man!"

"...Three..." Yukina whispered, her eyes growing wide at the significance. Hiei's heart pounded. He feared that any minute now, Tarukane would give way his secret, his darkest curse... What would Yukina say if Tarukane, of all men, was the one to tell her the truth? Would she hate him forever?

"You're vile." Hina whispered.

"Never said I wasn't." Tarukane ate noisily, slapping the flesh of his whores thigh as he spoke, "So baby, where did you come from? Didn't see your beautiful face when I rescued Yukina from the forest."

"Rescued me?" Yukina exploded, "You KIDNAPPED-!"

"Shh!" Hiei grabbed her hand tight under the table and squeezing it for silent support. "For god's sake don't give him any more ammo."

"You really do care about her." Tarukane jeered, "Don't you. That's kind of sick."

"You're the sick one." Hiei snapped,

"Come on, if Iw as fucking a robot even I would go so far as to bang my-"

"IF YOU DON'T SHUT YOUR CAN I SWEAR-!" Kuwabara howled, all but jumping out of his chair.

"KUWABARA." Hiei shouted, so that the entire team fell silent. For a moment, all their hearts pounded... Tarukane had come so close... He'd been right on the brink of telling Yukina something he must think she already knew. God have mercy. Hiei gripped his face, wiping the feverish sweat from his brow.

"Trying to protect your team?" Tarukane leered.

"...My family." Hiei corrected in a hoarse voice.

"Let's see how long that lasts. I haven't brought out my team yet. I hope you don't mind if they join us for dinner." Tarukane hoped.

"Maybe then we'll have someone of intelligence to talk to." Hiei sneered.

"Point taken!" Tarukane laughed, slamming his fist on the table. The whorish women withdrew sulkily, almost closing the door behind them. After a moment of tense silence as the four fighters of Team Urameshi waited for the new team to join them.

It felt like an eternity as shadowed footsteps stalked down a painfully long hallway, but when the door finally pushed open Hiei's eyes snapped wide open as he beheld the most gruesome and macabre team he'd ever seen in his life.

There were five of them: A woman who wore nothing short of a disgusting ratty pillow case, with long black hair that hung in front of her face, hiding her eyes and lips. The same woman from the dock in the white trench coat that held the enormous bloody sheering scissors. A woman with marred features so gruesome they rivaled Mukuro's wounds, thick chain stubs holding her wrists before her belly... A finely dressed lady in a crisp Chinese kimono whose skin smoldered and whose eyes were a pitiless black... a young boy, white and wide eyed, an enormous black crack running down his face.

"... What the fuck." Hiei blurted out, unable to stop himself.

"Language." Kurama's voice was tight, clearly unnerved as well.

"Shut the fuck up!" Hiei hissed at his old friend, "What the hell are they? Ghosts?"

"Right on the money." Tarukane invited his team to sit at the dinner table, and they did so in a slow procession, their eyes locked on Team Urameshi. "Allow me to introduce my team." The five sat down at the dinner table, not touching the enormous meal laid before them. It was as if they were hungry for a different type of flesh.

"This is Kayako." Tarukane pointed to the woman who wore only a ratty pillow case. "Keep your fingers away from her mouth. She's been locked in an attic for thirty years and hasn't had anything to eat since."

Kayako made a strange gurgling noise in the back of her throat, staccato and deep that sent shivers up and down Hiei's spine. It was as if she was unable to make any other sound. As if someone had smashed her throat in.

"This is Taoko." Tarukane pointed to the woman with the enormous bloody sheering scissors, whose eyes were locked on them all with such fierce hatred that it rivaled Hiei's own stare. "She tells us she already met you, Kurama. She's better known as the Slit Mouthed Woman. Watch out for those scissors." Tarukane laughed, "They're very sharp. You see, Taoko in her last life was a woman who became possessed by an evil vengeful spirit. She beat her children to death... nearly all of them. Her third child defended itself in the struggle... cut her deep in the stomach. Didn't kill her though. Nothing can kill her. Enjoy that when you're taking her on in the tournament." Tarukane laughed and laughed, spit in the corner of his mouth. Taoko rolled her evil eyes, as if she had better things to do.

"That woman is named Shoko." Tarukane continued on after he had finished with his laughing fit. He pointed to the woman with the horribly marred features. "She's another one that can't be killed. You see boys, she's already dead." Tarukane chuckled, "We had a tough time reincarnating her... so she's more or less still a ghost. She was killed by her jealous sister when she was only eleven years old. Locked in a box and set aflame... She lived in the that box for over fifty years... till she died. "

"Of course, then there's Mrs. Li." Tarukane gave a wicked smile to the well dressed woman in the chinese kimono. "She needs no introduction, do you beautiful."

"I wonder which one of you I shall have the pleasure of eating first." Mrs. Li leered, licking her lips obscenely.

"She's a cannibal. She ate aborted children in the form of a dumpling... but unfortunately for her one of those abortions was an incest case. The baby turned her soul rotten... She came to me for help, and I was only too happy to oblige." Tarukane blew her a sickening kiss.

"Eat Kuwabara." Hiei did not know what made him say it. Perhaps it was because thru humor he could find a way to cope with all the disgusting events of the evening. Perhaps thru laughing, he could avoid screaming. It seemed he was not alone in his sentiments for the entire team broke out into fits of hysteria, laughing and giving Kuwabara teasing nudges.

"Don't egg her on!" Kuwabara pleaded, undoubtably under the impression he was about to be a main course.

"Eat Kuwabara!" Hiei had to hold a hand tight over his mouth to keep from laughing, "He's very tasty!"

"Fine! She can eat me for the main course but you have to be the appetizer! A shrimp cocktail!"

That set them off. They laughed and laughed, wiping their eyes to keep for crying at the obscene thought as Hiei and Kuwabara gestured between each other, shaking their heads and snorting at the thought of being put on a plate before a cannibal.

"No."

They fell silent, staring at Mrs. Li whose eyes were locked on Kurama's own. She sniffed the air, as if she could smell how they tasted.

"The tall one is too sweet." She pronounced disdainfully. "He would ruin my appetite. The short one is too bitter... He would poison me... But you?" She opened her eyes as she looked Kurama dead on. "You are a different matter entirely." She even leaned forward a little. "You see, I desire anguish. It tastes the most delicious... And you are very tasty indeed. You want me to eat you. I know it. I can smell you longing to die-!"

She reached out with a clawed hand as if seized by a fever. In a rush, Yusuke picked up his steak knife and slammed it down, nearly piercing the vile woman's hand as it missed her middle and pointer finger by centimeters. The woman drew back in fright, eyes wide.

"Easy kid!" Tarukane shouted. "Easy. You'll both get your fill." Silence fell as Yusuke and Mrs. Li breathed heavy, their eyes locked on each other. Underneath the tremble, Kurama's hands were soaked in sweat, and Hiei reached over as discreetly as he could, gently clutching his old friends hand and squeezing it tight. The pale faced boy at the end merely stared at his plate, unwilling to speak. The entire Tarukane team was straight out of a nightmare. An illustration of hell.

"... I hope you gentleman will enjoy the meal." Tarukane added after he finally regained his nerve. "It may be your last."

_**(Scene Break) **_

"WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT?"

"Language."

"LANGUAGE? LANGUAGE? SHE'S GONNA EAT YOU!"

Dinner was long since over. The girls had retired, Yukina about to have a nervous break down, to their chambers. Genkai, Koenma, and George had all gone to bed, unable to stomach a talk after their disgusting dinner guests. Hiei personally could not blame them and sat on the floor of the common room next to Kurama, who kept shooting Yusuke tense looks as their friend paced a hole into the rug, blazing with fury. Kuwabara laid on the couch, so exhausted that he was nearly asleep. It was close to being eleven at night.

"AND YOU!" Yusuke squalled, pointing at Hiei, "THAT WAS ONE HELL OF A CLOSE CALL! Dear god, Tarukane is going to expose you! You can't keep lying to Yukina forever! He'll out you before this is all over!"

"No he won't." Hiei shook his head. "He knows I'll kill him."

"You can't kill the committee!" Yusuke snarled. "Shit..." he paced, running hands thru his hair, "I can't take this. This is just what they probably wanted, to freak us all out and give us trouble getting to sleep. Well fuck them! I won't be fooled! I'm going to bed, and whoever we fight tomorrow is going to DIE!" Yusuke snarled, storming out of the common room and slamming his bedroom door so hard that the window panes rattled.

"Goodnight, Yusuke." Kurama said to the quiet air.

"...I'm going to bed too." Kuwabara spoke up groggily, rising up on wobbly legs and heading for the door.

"Get ready to get up early." Kurama advised. "We will wake you."

"Goodnight guys." Kuwabara mumbled, closing his bedroom door quietly.

For a while, Hiei and Kurama sat on the floor with their backs to the couch, quiet and morose as they thought about the entire horrible evening and what tomorrow had in store. It was so easy to recall how scary it had been the first time around. How they'd had to fight tooth and nail just to get to the next meal. How many close calls there had been. How many times they'd nearly lost their battles or even died.

" Just you and I again." Kurama murmured.

"the old duo." Hiei nodded.

"... You think I'd taste good?" Kurama asked quietly.

"I figure you'd taste like plants." Hiei spoke as honestly as he could.

"...She knew..." Kurama shook his head, "Mrs. Li knew about Kuronue. She knew I wanted to die."

"You want to die?" Hiei looked at Kurama, as if truly seeing his old friend for the first time. He scanned his face over, looking at the deep bags under his sorrowful green eyes, the limpness in his red hair, the clammy complexion of his once tan and healthy skin.

"...Yes..." Kurama finally admitted, "Very much."

Hiei gaped.

"...Don't." Hiei whispered, unsure what else he could say. "... Please don't."

Kurama pinched his emerald eyes shut. To Hiei's horror a lone tear trickled down Kurama's clammy cheek which the youko wiped hastily away.

"I wish it was that easy, Hiei. I wish it was that easy." Kurama rose up on shaky legs. "Let me know when you get up tomorrow. I know you get up first." Kurama was walking away, as if he had not just admitted something deeply disturbing. As if he had not just shed a tear.

"Kurama-" Hiei called out, nearly rising to his feet as Kurama laid his hand on his bedroom door knob.

"Mm?" Kurama looked over his shoulder, tears still sparkling in his hurt eyes.

"...Tarukane shit all over Mukuro too. You don't see me with a dirty razor trying to slit my wrists." Hiei snapped. "So don't you go and die. Because that'll only prove him right. That'll only prove that you're weak. See me?" Hiei jerked a proud thumb to his chest. "I refuse to die."

"...that's because you've got things to live for." Kurama smiled waningly at his old friend. "And I?" Kurama looked up at the ceiling as another lone tear fell down his cheek, "I do not."

And with that, he closed the door.

_**(Scene Break) **_

Yukina wept loudly, holding tight to her mother as Hina rocked her back and forth in a loving embrace, petting her daughters hair and kissing her forehead as she did all she could to ease her suffering. Tarukane's revival had unlocked a bitter despair in Yukina that Hina had not known existed, and now her daughter was all but screaming as she cried, beating at her breasts and tearing at her hair as she cried and cried.

"Wash your face dear." Hina kissed Yukina tenderly on the head as her daughter's tears finally began to slowly subside. "Wash your face and go to bed. It's going to be alright."

"Y-Yes ma'am." Yukina hiccuped, rising up on trembling legs as she walked slowly towards the bathroom.

On the other side of the bathroom wall, Hiei let the tap run to hide his own angry snorts and moans. To his despair, he realized he could not cry. All he could do was huff and puff, his breathing labored as he paced back and forth and splashed cold water onto his steaming face, trying to find a solution for this horrible god awful mess.

Yukina let a cold stream of water run as she wept again. Hiei heard her sobbing and clutched at his throat to keep from screaming aloud at the noise. It was the noise that haunted his nightmares and made him doubt God's existence. It was the noise of Yukina in pain.

"F-fuck!" Hiei choked out, unable to suppress one scream.

"...H-Hiei?" Yukina whispered, listening intently as she quickly shut off the bathroom tap. She heard a groan from inside the wall as someone did the same on the other side.

"...Yeah..." Hiei whispered, opening the medicine cabinet. Yukina did the same. They stared at one another thru the tiny hole in the wall.

"Why didn't y-you t-tell me?"

"I didn't want to scare you. I thought if you knew.. if you knew you'd panic." Hiei felt like such a fool.

"D-don't ever do that again! Ever!" Yukina sobbed, as thick tears rolled down her cheeks, turning into hirosekes that plopped on the ground.

"...I promise. I won't ever do that again." Hiei reached thru the medicine cabinet, stroking Yukina's cheek and wiping away her tears. She clutched at his hand with her two moist own.

"I don't want to be a slave... I don't want to go back to that. I'm so scared."

"You think I'm going to let that happen?"

Yukina looked around, her eyes full of new tears starting to form. It was clear her panic was overriding her logical thinking.

"I don't know..."

"Yes you do."

Yukina's eyes shown in stark horror as suddenly a new wave of grief took her. Hiei tried his best to comfort her thru the wall, but it was not enough. She needed to be held. She needed to be _loved. _

"Tarukane... He said... He said there were three people who could make hirosekes... What if he's got my brother? What if he's got my brother?" Yukina broke down completely, clutching her mouth tight as she screamed into the palm of her hand, falling to the floor in a wave of shaking sobs that wracked her entire body. A primal mode overtook Hiei and the next seconds passed by in a blur. He ripped the medicine cabinet right out of the wall, kicking the other side out so that it crashed down beside Yukina with a loud shatter. He flitted thru the hole, nearly falling into the sink as his foot caught on the side and he tripped on his way thru, but he made it to the other side, swooping down on Yukina and pulling her tight into his arms, allowing her to hold onto him as she cried and cried.

"I want you to listen to me very hard." Hiei whispered roughly into his little sisters ear, curling her aquamarine hair out of the way as he held her as tight as he could, pressing right up against her so that their hearts beat as one. Yukina shook with her sobs, but she quieted herself, her arms wrapped tightly around the back of Hiei's neck as she laid her head on his shoulder and wept. "Tarukane does _not _have your brother. He wants you to _think _he has your brother to make you scared. To make you miserable. The world is not such a big place, Yukina. Your brother is out there somewhere, roaming happy and free. Tarukane just can't understand what it means to be free. He's always been a slave to his money... and I feel sorry for him." Hiei added. "Because he'll never know the joy of having a sister like you."

The words slipped out of his mouth before Hiei could shove them back in. Yukina's shaking stopped as she pulled back and stared at Hiei curiously.

"... I miss him..." Yukina whispered. "I miss him so much."

"...I know." Hiei swallowed around the painful lump in his throat.

"Sometimes... Sometimes I wish you were him. Sometimes I think you _are _him. But you'd know if you were and you'd tell me so... that can't be right." Yukina looked down shaking her head. Hiei embraced her once more to hid the look of anguish on his face as dry sobs wracked his body. He could not form tears, though he desperately wanted to as Yukina stumbled across his darkest truth without a clue. Hiei broke down, unable to make sobs, but unable to repress them as well. He clung onto Yukina like a cretin to a rock as a terrible ocean wave battered it onto the shore. He held her as tight as he possibly could, unwilling to face the truth of his sins... to tell her the truth.

"I'm so sorry..." Hiei realized how choked his voice sounded, and immediately quieted himself. "I'm so fucking sorry."

_**(Scene Break) **_

He fell into a miserable sleep on the bathroom floor, spooned tight around twin sister as he attempted to forget every sorrow that had lead him into such a shitty situation. He felt someone nudging him and cracked open an eye to see Shizuru standing above him, wearing nothing but a ratty men's nightshirt and a pair of boxers. She silently helped him to stand as Hiei slowly scooped Yukina off of the floor and quietly made his way out of the bathroom. He carried Yukina to her bedroom, Shizuru helping him every step of the way as she kept Yukina's head from accidentally hitting the door frame, or her feet from knocking over a lampshade. Hiei laid her into her bed, noticing that her little love birds were tucked fast asleep, their heads underneath their wings. Shizuru thru back the covers as Hiei set Yukina down, cradling her head upon her pillow as if she were an angel. He drew the covers up tight to his sisters chest, pressing a soft but hesitant kiss to her cheek as he and Shizuru left the room.

It was the kiss that woke her.

In the common room, Hiei and Shizuru sat on the couch as Hiei mulled over a glass of cold sake and Shizuru smoked a cigarette. Yukina crawled out of her bed quietly, wondering if she ought to intrude upon their private company. But she remained in the shadows, unwilling to disturb Hiei anymore after that evening. Why had he grown so upset? Was it something that she had said? Was he mad at her? She prayed not, for she loved Hiei dearly and certainly didn't want to hurt his feelings.

"She gonna be okay?" Shizuru whispered.

"Yeah." Hiei whispered, his voice tight. "Me on the other hand? Fuck."

"Got a light?" Shizuru asked. With a snap of his fingers, Hiei conjured her up a tiny flame that danced from the edge of his fingertips. She lit her cigarette and took a deep long drag. "Thanks." She sighed out the smoke. "Tonight was tough, but it's gonna be okay."

"Sometimes I want to tell her so bad... but I just can't. I just... I can't." Hiei whispered, his head in his hands as he drank his sorrows down, determined to find peace in the bottom of the sake cup.

"Why?" Shizuru asked.

"I don't know..." It was the simplest easiest answer to give. It was also a flat out lie. He knew exactly why... he just couldn't bear to admit it.

"You think she'd hate you or something?" Shizuru asked.

From inside her room, Yukina wondered who and what they might be talking out. She kept her ear tight to the door as she listened.

"...Something like that, yeah." Hiei whispered.

"She won't. Take my word for it. I'm a sister. If my brother did something crazy, I'd still love him." Shizuru smiled, nudging Hiei affectionately. Yukina peered thru the crack in the door, looking in thru a sliver of the scene.

"She thinks her brother is this saint. Some perfect person that's going to save everyone. If only she knew... how imperfect. How fucking evil-"

"Stop." Shizuru halted him. "You're not evil. You're not." She shook her head. "And Yukina loves you for you."

Yukina gasped, bringing her hand to her mouth in shock... Were they talking about _her? _But...

...But...

"Yukina loves you flaws and all. Warts, scars, the whole picture. She doesn't just take this one piece. She takes _you." _

"... She can take me as a friend." Hiei finally spoke up, "But she can never knew I'm her brother. I don't have the heart to break her own. Maybe it's better if she thinks her brother is some saint, out fighting evil... Maybe it would be better if she never knew her brother was right next to her. That her brother _was _the evil." Hiei put his head in his hands again as Yukina sank to the floor.

...Hiei... Was Hiei... Her... Her...?

"Do you ever get lonely?" Shizuru spoke up.

"...Yeah." Hiei admitted.

"Still, it must be nice to have her near." Shizuru added.

"Oh yeah." Hiei bit his lip, It's great. It's..." But his silence spoke the staggering ugly truth. "It's fucking awful. I can't tell her and it's fucking awful." He bit down to keep from screaming out again. "...You think she'd be happy if she knew I was her brother?"

"Yeah." Shizuru agreed. "And I think you would too."

Inside her room, Yukina stared with shocked eyes into a quiet and darkened bedroom. She clutched her heart, which ached and yet sang at the same time. She wanted to scream. She wanted to rejoice. She wanted to break down her bedroom door and leap atop Hiei, hugging him senseless.

And yet... Now it all made sense. Now she fully understood. She felt as if some huge piece of her heart was sliding into place, filling her up and making her whole again. She realized in that instant as she sat on her bedroom floor watching her lovebirds sleep, that Hiei was greatest man she'd ever met. The distance he had put between them had not been to keep them apart... it had been to keep them together. To keep them sane and whole. It was he who had loved her. He who had risked all, pursued all, taken all, undergone all, if only to know she was safe. If only to see her one last time. How had it escaped her? How could she have been so foolish? It was so plain to see when she stared thru obvious eyes. Hiei was not a callous shadow that clung to the outskirts for lack of caring... he was a wise man. A smart warrior, that waited in the dark for cruel and vile men to attempt to take what goodness he knew from the world. He was the silent figure, protecting them all. He was the black knight.

He was her brother.

He was her brother, and Yukina had never been more miserably happy in her life.

_**(Scene Break) **_

The next morning they all got up bright and early, slapping hands and pulling on their work out clothes, getting ready for the fights that lay ahead. As predicted, Hiei was up first, mainly because he had never gone to sleep. After rousing his team and giving the girls a five minute warning, he had been bombarded by questions as Hina rushed into the boys chamber and began to wrap their fists in flexible gauze, forcing water and vitamins down their throats as she demanded they eat a large breakfast.

"I'm ready! I'm ready for this shit. I'm so ready. I'm gonna kill everybody!" Yusuke was chanting as they left their room and exited into the elevator foyer where they were escorted down by a guard in tough leather uniform.

"Can't you wait until we're in the lobby." Hiei yawned, still tired.

"Good morning, Hiei!"

Hiei was slightly shocked to see Yukina before him in the elevator, smiling up at him with the happiest look she had frankly ever given him. Pleased, Hiei smiled down at her.

"Good morning, Yukina." Hiei smiled. "How do you feel?"

"Much better now." Yukina threw her arms around his neck, emboldened for some reason. "Thank you for everything." She whispered his ear. "Truly. For everything."

"It's..." Hiei was shocked, "It's no problem. You're my girl."

"I know." She let go. She fixed him with a strange smile. "...I know everything."

Hiei raised an eyebrow. That sounded significant.

"I've got my satchel." Hina spoke aloud as they exited the elevator and made their way thru the lobby. "We're ready." she patted her bag trustingly as they left the hotel far behind and began their trek to the packed stadium.

"I'll be in the top booth." Koenma assured them. Girls, you know your duty!"

"I'll take care of the referee!" George looked utterly delighted at the thought.

"I'll be the eye in the sky." Shizuru gave a mock salute.

"Can I be on the ground with you, mom?" Yukina asked hesitantly.

"Yes, you can heal." Hina smiled down at her daughter, hugging her as they walked.

"I'll hold down the forth with Keiko and Shizuru!" Botan smiled.

"Then let's go!" Yusuke all but stormed his way thru the entrance to the stadium. The guard blocking their team entrance stepped aside with a heavy grunt.

"Are you ready?" He asked.

"I'M READY TO KICK SOME ASS!" Yusuke shrieked, glowing a strange light blue.

"...Yes." Hiei grumbled, much more subdued. The guard's eyes had all but popped out of his head at Yusuke's loud retort, "We're ready."

"...Good." The guard finally said as they entered the stadium for the first time in many years.

It was just as they remembered. Packed, sweaty, full of chaos, smells of food, and jeers for other teams. Betting pools were being placed in long lines that circle gated off booths where beautiful demon women flaunted their figures to tempt the bets higher. Their group payed the foolishness no mind. They were used to it by now.

"Ladies," the guard spoke up, pointing to a new usher who had an enormous club over his shoulder, "If you'll follow this gentlemen, he'll lead you to your seats."

"Good luck, Yusuke!" Without warning, Keiko reached forward, planting a firm kiss on his mouth. Yusuke muffled a retort, to happy to be jerk.

"I love you, Kazuma." Shizuru hugged her younger brother close. "I love you so much. Please be safe."

"Ah, I got this, Shizuru." Kuwabara smiled warmly at his older sister.

"If you don't win I swear I'll kill you." Shizuru warned.

"Go boys!" Botan cheered. "We know you can do it!"

"Ha!" Kuwabara laughed, "I got this thing!"

"Good luck team!" Koenma waved them off, pulling his ogre alongside as the girls left with the large guard. Hina and Yukina stayed behind. "Let's go, George!"

"This way." Their original guard lead them thru the tough crowd, cutting a wide path with his girth and his angry looks as weaker demons scuttled aside. They followed a heavily guarded corridor to a large branching tunnel. They were passing what felt like a hundred rooms, and Hiei wondered where they lead to exactly. But their guard knew exactly where he was going, and after several turns and one direction change later, they were in the ringside of the stadium, their team locker rooms to the left and an enormous door ahead of them... doors which would open to the arena.

"Badges." The guard. insisted. The group presented them. "Healers?" He asked, pointing to Hina and Yukina.

"Yes." Hina explained. "Me and my daughter."

"This is your waiting area. The fight will commence in about thirty minutes. Get ready and get out onto the main floor. Good luck" the guard added. After a brief salute, he made his way back up the tunnel, standing guard over a pair of doors which would lead out into the tunnels again.

"Alright." Hina nodded. "Let's do this."

They entered the locker room, and Hina set down her healers bag, opening it up and pulling out everything she could get her hands on. Hiei sincerely doubted they would need it, but if it made her feel better... well...

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!" came an all too familiar and annoying voice from outside, "WELCOME TO THE DARK TOURNAMENT!"

"Before we go out there." Hina added as the boys (and Genkai) tightened their belts and retied their shoe laces, "I want to tell you all something. That I am very proud of all of you, and I know you will do amazing." She added with a warm smile.

"You're damn right!" Yusuke charged his ki, his hair rippling as a light blue energy exploded all around him, "Let's do this thing!"

"MY NAME IS KOTO! AND I'LL BE YOUR CUTE KITTY CAT REFEREE GIRL FOR THE PRELIMINARIES! ARE YOU READY FOR SOME BLOOD?"

Hiei and Yukina's eyes met in a fraction of a second as Kurama, Yusuke, Kuwabara, Hiei, and Genkai began to make their way out of the stadium. In that tiny moment, Yukina formed the words _'Good luck big brother'. _

Hiei's eyes flew open, and he gaped at her.

"...Yukina-?" Hiei whispered, unsure what she meant.

"I love you, Yukina!" Kuwabara swept his little sister up into a hug, "I'll win just for you. I promise! Tarukane or no Tarukane!"

"I love you too!" Yukina even kissed him on the forehead, "I love you all so much! Go. Go kick some butt!"

"That's all the inspiration I need!" Kuwabara yipped, "MAKE WAY, FOOLS! I KAZUMA KUWABARA-!" But the rest of the words were drowned out as he stormed out of the locker room and slammed the door behind.

"I will never understand that bastard." Hiei grumbled.

"ON THIS SIDE, TEAM VALENSHIA!"

Yusuke pulled the final three out of the locker rooms, leaving Yukina and Hina to sit and wait with greatest anticipation. As they stood behind the doors, preparing for them to open, Yusuke addressed his team as a unit.

"Remember this above all else." Yusuke grumbled. "They may be a team, but we're a family. And nothing beats a family."

"The family that slays together, stays together." Hiei jested.

"AND ON THIS SIDE-!" The doors began to open wide, spilling sunlight in as the crowd went positively wild, "OUR REIGNING CHAMPIONS, ASS KICKERS OF THE CENTURY, TEAM URAMESHI!" The crowd exploded with cheers as the doors flew open.

It was just like last time. The grass was bright, and smelled sweet. The arena was at least three feet off the of the ground, thick limestone marble that glistened in the bright sunlight above. The entire crowd was packed into the stands, cheering, screaming, jeering, and cat calling. Atop the arena was Koto, just as strangely annoying as ever with her microphone in hand and her cat tail bobbing up and down with delight. She waved a hand to their team with an enormous smile upon her face. "WILL THE FIRST FIGHTERS STEP FORWARD?"

"Don't even do that rock, paper, scissors crap." Hiei growled.

"Let me go." Yusuke butted in, "I've been burning for a fight since last night!"

"Go shred 'em killer." Kuwabara joked.

"I have the greatest pity for his opponent." Kurama added as Yusuke puffed up his chest, and hoped atop the arena. The stadium erupted into wild applause at the sight of him, proud as a peacock.

"FOR TEAM URAMESHI, URAMESHI HIMSELF! THE BAD BOY IS BACK BABY!" Koto announced. Up in the stands, Hiei thought he could hear the screams of Keiko, Shizuru, Botan, and George.

"FOR TEAM VALENSHIA?" Koto waved her wand to the other side in greatest expectation, "WHOSE GOING TO TAKE ON URAME SHI? IT'S JOVIAS! TEAM CAPTAINS ARE FIGHTING FIRST! TALK ABOUT GETTING OFF ON THE RIGHT FOOT!"

Hiei craned his neck to see a mountain of a man with a thick bushy beard and a kind smile stomping his way onto the arena floor. He was massive in girth, to the point of being unrealistic, but there was something about his oafish nature that unnerved Hiei. Would this be another Chuu episode?"

"READY!" Koto cried aloud, her pointer finger high in the air as she waited. Yusuke said nothing to the contrary and the man named Jovias put himself in a wide fighting stance. " THE FIRST ONE TO STAY DOWN LONGER THAN TEN SECONDS, OR IS KILLED IS THE LOSER! ON YOUR MARK, GET SET, GO!"

"And so it begins." Genkai whispered.

The race was on.

_**(End Scene) **_

_**Don't you hate it when I do this to you? Thanks for waiting. It's been really tough, moving to a new place. And I don't know how I'm going to afford to pay rent... God, this sucks. :( Oh well. Such is life. Mum says I should look at this as an opportunity, not as a problem. Then again, Mum is well off and living in a nice house. Maybe she should just sit this one out. Next chapter, will Yusuke survive his match against the enormous Jovias? Will Team Urameshi take the point? Or will Yusuke loose his match! It's up to the reviewers to decide! In your review, tell me wether or not you think Jovias or Yusuke should win! :D **_

_**Happy commenting! **_


	12. Soul Searching

_**Hey all you ding dongs. Did you miss me? Sorry if this update was slow. I've been on the job hunt and recently got a gig in Tarpon Springs, FL, three hours away from where I am now. Basically I am going to have to up and move after I've already up and moved. Christ almighty. BUT. a job is a job! :D Anyways. I received a review that hoped for me to speed things up and get to the good stuff. I'm going to try my best, but I want everyone to keep in mind that the Dark Tournament, in order to be canon, involves rounds with several teams. So I'm going to spice things up along the way by giving you lots of goodies. Also, an excellent reader noted that Yukiei ("For a Dead Guy") Sure does have a lot to do with the story line. She wondered idly if there was any way he might come back to life... mwaahahahah... :D Read and Review! **_

_**(Scene Break) **_

"READY SET GO!" Koto cried aloud. The crowd burst into wild cheering and the fight was on. Yusuke, never one to mess around with formalities, leapt forward like a cheetah after a gazelle (albeit a very _fat _gazelle).

"SORRY BIG BOY BUT I'M PISSED OFF!" Yusuke shrieked, charing at Jovias and beginning his assault. Jovias was large, and took multiple hits from Yusuke, being knocked around like a rag doll. They didn't seem to take any effect however, as his fat merely rippled back and forth. It was aggravating to Yusuke, who'd already had a hard day, and it only succeeded in making him angrier. Jovias just smiled and laughed as he dodged.

"Can't kill me there, lad! Try again!" Jovias laughed merrily, allowing Yusuke to punch him a couple more times in the gut, just for good measure.

"SHUTTUP!" Yusuke screamed. He jumped high in the air, and without warning kicked Jovias straight in the face with all the force of a charging bull. Jovias went flying, landing way outside the ring as he crashed into the opposite stadium wall with an explosion like a canon. Hiei and Kurama threw up their hands to shield themselves from the debris as a dirt clod hit Kuwabara in the face. Genkai was all but miffed, pulling spare grass from her greying locks.

"Dimwit." Hiei distinctly heard her grumble.

"BOTH FIGHTERS ARE OUTSIDE THE RING!" Koto cried. "I'LL START THE COUNT! ONE! TWO! THREE! FOUR!"

"You know how I won my fights?" Jovias growled, picking himself back up so that debris, dirt, and concrete fell all around him in a shower.

"Your lard!" Yusuke joked.

"No!" Jovias broke into maniacal laughter, "Sumo wrestling!"

"EIGHT! NINE!"

"So let's SUMO!"

Where Yusuke used street fighting, Jovias a was a classic fighter. He grabbed Yusuke hard by the hips, and just before the word 'ten' could cross Koto's cat lips, Jovias flung them both back into the ring. It was an all out war as Jovias drove Yusuke around the stadium like a bull dog, tearing him apart left and right with old fashioned sumo. Genkai winced.

"Damn." she growled, "I never taught him sumo."

It was obvious, considering Yusuke was a street punk who had nothing more to go on that a broken pocket knife and some chump change, where as Jovias was clearly a well awarded sumo man who knew how to use his weight to his advantage.

"Both fighters are back inside the ring and it looks like a dog fight right before our eyes!" Koto cried, ever the one to delight in violence. Yusuke and Jovias knocked each other around, rolling on the floor as they wrestled in head locks. Yusuke was going to loose-!

"With his girth, Jovias is sure to have the upper hand." Kurama muttered more to himself than to anyone else, "If Yusuke's blows cannot be affected because of his weight, then maybe he will have to use his weight against him."

"Like how?" Kuwabara asked, agog at the sight of a traditional sumo fight being tainted with such idiocy.

"Perhaps if he can throw Jovias, put him on the ground and knock the breath out of him. He may be able to trip him and keep him down for ten counts."

"How do you knock the breath out of an elephant." Hiei jested. Frankly, he had a point.

"Come on now!" Jovias laughed as Yusuke sweated and struggled against him, "You can do better than that!"

He could.

"SWING HIM!" Hiei screamed out, egging Yusuke on. It was all the egging he needed. Yusuke grabbed Jovias arm, and with a tight spin, threw him to the ground, knocking the breathe out of him. Jovias lay dazed and confused, shocked at the sudden turn around as he struggled to rise. But his girth made it nearly impossible, and it was clear his lungs were flat.

"ONE! TWO! THREE! FOUR! FIVE!"

"Stay down..." Kurama hissed under his breathe, "Stay down..."

"EIGHT! NINE!... TEN!" She screamed, sending the audience into a frenzy, "TEAM URAMESHI TAKES THE POINT!"

But instead of being satisfied, the crowd only jeered, clearly angered by the lack of violence.

"Where's the fight in that?" Screamed one demon, "I wanna see some blood!"

"Cut open his stomach!" Another egged, "Pork that pig!"

"C'mon Urameshi!" A third jeered, "Kick him while he's down!"

On the ring, Yusuke bent over his opponent, slightly concerned. Jovias was still dazed, practically spiral eyed from lack of breathe.

"Are you.. okay?" Yusuke asked. Jovias did not respond.

"I have a healer if you... need it..." Slightly embarrassed, Yusuke backed up, "Eh. Okay."

"OH COME ON!" Screamed an irritated crowd member, "SHOW US SOME BLOOD!"

But Yusuke was never the one to indulge in demons dreams. He leapt off the marble arena back to the grassy knoll that was their teams station. Surrounded by his crew, Yusuke looked even more sweaty up close. He smelt awful.

"Are you alright?" Kurama asked.

"Just banged up I guess." Yusuke jested, "He didn't really hurt me all that much."

"Typical." Hiei growled, "You take on the weakling and now it's up to the rest of us to pull the weight."

"Hey shuttup!" Yusuke snapped, "That guy was a fucking mountain sitting on my chest!"

"Perhaps you should let Hina know you're alright." Kurama offered, while Hiei snickered.

"Yeah..." Yusuke moped, slightly bored at the lack of the challenge, "I guess so. Good luck guys." Yusuke vanished back into the darkened depths of the tunnels where Hina and Yukina both waited anxiously in the locker room. While he might not be injured, Hiei could see that he needed a change of shirts, and perhaps a bath. Maybe two baths. With extra soap.

"WOW! THAT MATCH WAS SHORT AND DISAPPOINTING! BUT DON'T WORRY LADIES BECAUSE THE NEXT MAN UP LOOKS SURE TO SHED SOME BLOOD!" Koto assured her audience even as they booed and threw trash into the ring side.

"Who wants to go next?" Kurama asked, as if they were discussing the weather.

"I'll go." Kuwabara jested, puffing out his chest. But Hiei threw out a hand to stop his tall friend. From across the ring, his jagan picked up a hot and heavy trail. A scent of smouldering wood, as if an intense heat were blazing... yes. It was clear to him that the next fighter would be using flame as an advocate. Who better for _he _to fight?

"No. Let me." Hiei cut in. With a single flicker of shadow, Hiei was atop the marble arena, sword in hand and jagan spread wide for the audience to see.

"HIEI HAS STEPPED INTO THE RING! OUR STADIUM TOOK IT'S TOLL LAST YEAR FROM THIS BAD BOY! LETS HOPE WE GET TO SEE ANOTHER ROUND OF THE DARK DRAGON! WHO FROM TEAM VALENSHIA WILL TAKE HIM ON?" Koto cried out, a grin playing on her bloodied lips. For a moment there was silence as the once defeated Valenshia team looked amongst themselves for someone suitable... but it was easy to see who wanted to go.

A tall man, dark and ruggedly handsome with thick leather hide covering his hands and legs... clearly a fire demon from his aura and persona. Hiei knew the type. After all, his father had been one.

"I will." Growled the man, stepping up onto the arena with long legs.

"THEROF HAS STEPPED INTO THE RING. HOLD ONTO YOUR HATS LADIES BECAUSE THIS IS GOING TO BE A HEATED FIGHT! ARE BOTH FIGHTERS READY?" Koto looked between the new pair.

"You can dish out the heat but can you take it?" Therof grinned lazily. Hiei grinned back.

"Fool." Hiei leered, "I _am _the heat."

"READY SET GO!"

The crowd screamed for blood as both fighters charged forward. Hiei was out, sword in hand, but Therof was just as fast and had leather arm guards to boot. He used them avidly to block Hiei's vicious attacks which swung like wind shifts. The lightning speed was incredible to behold and it hurt even Kurama's expert eyes to watch. They battled back and forth, swinging at each other and attempting to cut whatever they could reach. Hiei was quickly loosing patience with the old approach, and boosted his jagan eye, using it's power to twist Therof into a tight hold and then throw him into the ground with a horrifying _'crunch!'. _

"What the hell was that?" Therof demanded, sprawled unceremoniously on the floor.

"Jagan." Hiei tapped his forehead.

"We'll see about that!" Therof shrieked angry and being insulted. He ripped off his leather shirt so that a strange fire emblem was shown upon his chest. It glowed a bright orange as he fired up his ki... and quite suddenly everything seemed to explode with heat.

It happened at the speed of light. Therof set himself ablaze, sending three feet of fire out on all sides around him so that the entire arena was coated. Screaming, Koto managed to get out of the way just in time. But even so, the end of her tail was singed and her ears were smoking.

"WOW! THEROF HAS LIT HIMSELF LIKE A TORCH! I WONDER WHAT THIS HOLDS FOR HIEI?"

"Please." Kurama snorted, rolling his deep green eyes. Therof charged like a flaming bull but hiei dodged it easily. Therof used his flame to wrap Hiei up tight like a snake, but Hiei's ki was much too large to be tainted by Therof's mortal flame. They battled fiercely, fire on fire, the pair of them screaming like heathens and snarling.

"Fire on fire..." Genkai murmured. "That approach will never work."

"What do you mean?" Kuwabara asked.

"Observe how the pair of them are being burned alive even as they fight? Therof is willing to sacrifice his body to the flame... Is Hiei?" Genkai tempted.

Back in the ring, Therof was growing more desperate, reaching out at Hiei as they battled, trying to grab his right arm.

"C'MON! SHOW ME THAT DRAGON!" Therof screamed.

"I will never subject my mistress to a weakling like you." Hiei hissed, despising the cockroach before him.

"WEAKLING?" Therof screamed infuriated. Without warning, Therof threw out his hands, as if throwing something invisible, and an explosion went off with the force of a bomb. Hiei skittered, flitting from shadow to shadow as the entire arena was engulfed in hot blue flames. Hiei was impossible to target, and the audience was subject to Therof's wrath as he missed again, and again, _and again! _

"OH MY! FIRE HAS ENGULFED THE ENTIRE ARENA! SHIELD YOUR EYES OR YOU'LL BE BLINDED! WE JURERS MAY BE HELD TO A HIGHER STANDARD, BUT I'M GETTING BACK TO KEEP FROM BEING BURNED!" Koto managed to get out of the way just as another bomb slammed into the side of the arena.

_**(Scene Break)**_

Inside the locker room, Hina gently rotated Yusuke's left shoulder to help it's torn socket. Sweat was dripping down the back of her neck, and she wiped it away hastily... Why was it so hot?

"Is it getting hot to you?" Hina asked as she rotated.

"I feel it too." Yusuke mumbled, after hissing in pain.

"...Hiei's out there." Yukina whispered. "I can tell."

_**(Scene Break) **_

"Kuwabara!" Kurama screamed, "Get back!"

"Oh man!" Kuwabara shrieked, running too and fro to avoid the bombs as Hiei flew around the ring and Therof followed at a maddeningly slow pace. Therof was getting frustrated. It was clear who was the better fighter, who was going to win the match. But at what cost? Would the entire team be swallowed up by the flames?

"Thorn ki!" Kurama shouted, bursting his ki forth. A bubble of wild greenery erupted, so that Genkai, Kuwabara, and Kurama were shielded from the worst of the damage.

"He's gonna kill us all!" Kuwabara groaned, wiping soot and grit from his face.

"He's going to kill himself." Kurama worried, holding the bubble firm with his strong ki. Genkai smiled warmly at Kurama's gentle heart.

"Hiei is a fire apparition." Genkai smiled wearily. "He can take the heat, no pun intended." she added at the quirk of Kurama's grin.

Inside the ring, Hiei was proving her point right and left, while Therof was all but wilting in the heat, Hiei was almost growing stronger. Therof collapsed, momentarily halting on the bombs.

"Usually..." Therof panted, sweating bullets, "Usually my flames kill whoever they touch."

"Usually you aren't battling me." Hiei smirked. "Is it hot in here to you?" He sneered as Therof winced, burning and bleeding. Hiei shrugged off the flames, untroubled. He looked down at Therof with contempt at the crawling creature at his feet. "... Don't you know my reputation, boy?"

"What fire apparition doesn't." Therof whispered. "You're a hero to _them." _He snapped, jerking his burnt face at Hiei's team which crouched under Kurama's wise restraints, "But you're a villain... a traitor to us. You're full of shit. I'm going to bring you down."

"I've heard it all before." Hiei shrugged, unfazed by Therof's insults. He'd heard much worse from much better people. Crouching down on his knees, Hiei lowered his face until he and Therof were almost nose to nose. "Therof..." Hiei whispered, so that only they two could heard, "Did you think you could swarm me with your flame? Defeat me with a brush? Surely you knew I could easily just do this." Hiei rose up on both feet, and with a great rush of his ki he sucked in every ounce of flame he could contain. The entire stadium, arena, and area side returned to normal... the damage was gone. It was inside Hiei... feeding the dragon of the darkness flame. Therof gaped, horrified.

"Surely you knew I could. Just like I did to Bui of team Toguro. What do you think he'd make of you?" Hiei asked, yawning a little at the lack of sport. Therof, however, was far from bored, terrified as she shivered on the ground a bloody quivering heap.

"My...My aura!" Therof cried, horrified.

"If you're not good enough without it, you'll never be good enough with it." Hiei advised. But his words fell on deaf ears as the crowd snarled and screamed, roaring a chant that sent birds flying out of the trees.

"KILL HIM! KILL HIM! KILL HIM! KILL HIM!"

Hiei stared down at Therof, unsympathetic.

"You... You'll burn in your own hell." Therof moaned. "You evil bastard! Shit bag! You wicked, wicked man!"

Hiei closed his eyes, and stamped on Therof's neck. With a sickening crunch, Therof fell dead.

"HOLY COW!" Koto cried, back in the arena," WHAT A FIRE STORM! THE FIGHT IS OVER AND HIEI IS TAKING THE POINT!"

"Pathetic." Hiei sighed. Therof's dead corpse was like a squashed roach on the floor and he didn't want to see it anymore. Stepping out of the arena, Hiei walked past his friends who were released from Kurama's hold with a slight _'pop!'. _

"Hiei, are you alright?" Kurama asked at once.

"I'm alive aren't I." Hiei grumbled, Therof's words still ringing in his ears.

'_You evil bastard! Shit bag! You wicked, wicked man!' _

"You need help." Kuwabara spoke up, "You've got booboos."

Hiei stared at Kuwabara, unable to tell what was more absurd. The fact that he might 'need help' or the word 'booboo'.

"Go see your mom man." Kuwabara added. "She can help."

"Can't go running to mommy every time I get a... booboo..." Hiei curled his lip at the word and decided to never use it again. "Whose next?" Hiei asked, gesturing at the ring. On the other side of the ring, teammates were screaming, attempting to rouse Therof as if he were only asleep and not dead.

"Therof!" One screamed, his blue hair falling in his face, concealing hidden tears, "Therof!"

"They're mourning." Kurama murmured. Hiei turned his head away, but he could not block out the voices.

"YOU BASTARD!" the blue haired fighter screamed, "YOU KILLED HIM!"

"...hiei?" Kurama whispered.

Hiei bit his lip to keep from snapping. "Are you going to get up there or do I have to kill him too?" Hiei could not take the edge out of his voice.

"...I'll take this." Kurama put a gentle hand on Hiei's slumped shoulder.

"THE VALENSHIA TEAM IS IN AN UPROAR AFTER HIEI HAS BRUTALLY SLAUGHTERED THEIR TEAM MATE! I GUESS THEY DON'T HAVE SPIRIT FOR THE KILL LIKE I DO, BUT THE CROWD IS ROARING AND YOU DO HAVE TO LOVE THAT! OH MY! KINTAI HAS STEPPED UP INTO THE RING! THIS LOOKS TO BE A DELICIOUS BATTLE! AND NOW KURAMA? MAKE WAY FOR THE SLAUGHTER!" Koto stepped back to give the two new fighters room. Kurama's calm posture was the exact opposite of his new opponent, the blue haired fighter with wild golden eyes that sparkled from angry tears.

"You..." the fighter named Kintai hissed, "You're his friend."

"...Yes." Kurama confirmed.

"He was my friend." Kintai pointed a finger at Therof's smoking corpse, "I'm going to kill you."

"You will try." Kurama acknowledged, a deep sorrow growing in his heart.

"I WILL SUCCEED!"

Koto didn't even get to start the count. Kintai lunged forward before the starting time was called, and drew out the largest scapulae Kurama had ever seen. Kintai sliced with deadly precision while Kurama leapt back and forth, yanking a glistening rose out from his scarlet locks and summoning a portion of his ki with well trained agility.

"Rose whip!" Kurama cried, and the battle was on. They fought viciously, Kintai with grief and Kurama with remorse. Kurama was cut several times, and barely avoided getting out of the way as Kintai's grief and madness rose and rose, causing him to make mistakes and take risks in order to stab at Kurama. With a great lunge, Kintai managed to get so close that Kurama's whip was out of range. The look on Kintai's eyes was clear, as his scapulae pressed itself tight to his throat. It said, with unspoken sorrow and sadness _'There has got to be meaning when his life was so brief.' _Meaning that Kintai would never find...

Kurama's sorrow slowed his reflexes, if only for the briefest second. He thought of Kuronue. He thought of how he too had worn the same expression while he watched his lover die, praying for a reason, begging God for a meaning... a God he had never prayed to until that moment. A God he had always believed in until that moment.

Kintai swiped his hand, a dark spurt of blood shot out of Kurama's neck-!

"GOT YOU!" Kintai screeched.

"KURAMA!" Kuwabara bellowed, his loud voice echoing around the stadium like a fog horn. Kurama stumbled, looking over his shoulder to see Hiei on his feet, being held back by Kuwabara and Genkai as he fought tooth and nail to come to Kurama's aid. His fingers were warm and sticky... he knew they were coated in blood. His blood. Kurama felt his blood pumping feverishly as it rushed out of his split neck artery and with trembling knees he crashed to the ground. He could not summon the will to fight against the feeling of bitter cold. Kintai's sorrow had infected him, ripping open a wound he thought he had healed long ago. Emerald eyes closed on a cruel world, and his sweating brain thought of Kuronue... of the feverish cold that Demon world brought with each battle. He remembered falling once, after a wild fight that had lasted three days and three nights. Kuronue had thrown open the doors of the temple wide open, fire in hand... Kuronue had locked eyes with Kurama, where he layed sprawled on the floor, poised to be struck upon. Kuronue had thrown that strange blue fire, lighting the entire temple ablaze. Kurama could see that fire... could feel its heat inside of him... warming him up, helping him to go on thru the cold-

" A STRANGE MIST HAS ENVELOPED THE ENTIRE ARENA! I CAN HARDLY SEE WHATS GOIGN ON BUT IT LOKOS LIKE THERE ARE THREE PEOPLE, NOT TWO! WHO COULD THIS MYSTERIOUS PERSON BE?"

Kurama could feel it again... could feel that warmth, and with eyes wide shut he prayed for a miracle that only his unfeeling lover could give. _'If only Kuronue were here'. _Kurama thought morosely _'Maybe then living wouldn't be so hard... maybe then dying wouldn't be so easy.' _

Opening his eyes, Kurama sought to see what all the commotion was about. A thick white mist has formed around the entire arena. Was this an attack of Kintai's? He could feel another presence near him, and with bloodied hands he produced the Blades of Blood, praying they might keep Kintai at bay until he could gather a better attack plan. But as his hands swung, another hand caught his bloodied wrist... a hand with long smooth fingernails.

A hand he hadn't felt in over a thousand years.

Kuronue was before him. Kurama gaped.

He could not see Kuronue, but he could feel him... he could _feel _him... Feel him like a warm breeze off the ocean spray. Feel like the love of an angel... like the love of his mother. Could feel every bone in his body yearning and giving into the power that Kuronue held over him... the power of their eternal and unending bond.

"Kuronue..." Kurama moaned." Don't leave... Please don't leave."

For a minute there was dead silence.

"_I am with you always..." _

Kurama sucked in a breath, his eyes rolling into the back of his head at the sound of that voice... that beautiful dark voice.

"_And soon the time will come for us to be one again... But now is not that time. Slay this man. Slay him..." _Kurama nodded, unaware of anything save for the beautiful sound of Kuronue's voice. The healing of his touch- touch? Kurama opened his eyes, seeing nothing but feeling something. He touched his neck, unsure if this was the effect of death. If all of this was but a mirage. No!

His neck was healed?

He could hardly believe it as he rubbed his neck tenderly, afraid the wound might tear afresh. But it was as if the wound had never existed in the first place... how could this be? Could it be that Kuronue was truly near? Could it be that Kuronue's love had healed him? But how? How was it even... possible?

"_Slay this man... Slay him for me..." _Kuronue whispered in Kurama's ear. Kurama's head snapped to attention, his emerald eyes wide open as he took in every word. Yes. Yes of course... anything that Kuronue desired he would get. Anything.

Slowly, the smoke began to vanish. As if it had only been a momentary sea fog. Convinced of what must be done, fueled by Kuronue's presence and praying that he was still near, Kurama stood back up, wiping his blood upon the front of his tanden cloth. As the fog rolled away, Kurama could see Kintai was half way across the arena, his fists up and his scapulae out as if he had thought Kurama was hiding somewhere. Koto was in the middle, peering about confusedly.

"AND THE MIST IS GONE!" Koto cried out "TO REVEAL KURAMA COMPLETELY UNHARMED, THOUGH STILL A BIT BLOODY!"

"Kurama!"

Kurama shot a look over his shoulder to see Hiei and Kuwabara gaping at him. Genkai looked a little wary, her ki out as if expecting an attack. What had they seen that he had not?

It did not matter. He knew what must be done.

"What?" Kintai bellowed, agog at Kurama's healing. Kurama did not care. Kuronue's request, Kuronue's love, Kuronue's _sheer presence _fueling him on, he walked forward with a calm deliberate pace, and, without a moments hesitation, he reached forward. Grabbing Kintai by the top of the head, he twisted his head with a rough jab, and heard the sickening crunch of Kintai's neck breaking.

Kintai fell to the ground dead. He did not know what had hit him.

"Holy shit!" Kuwabara cried out.

"Great god alive." Genkai murmured.

"KINTAI'S NECK HAS BEEN SNAPPED IN HALF! KURAMA TAKES THE POINT! WHAT A DELICIOUSLY BRUTAL KILLING!" Koto cried out, raising her kitty paw high into the air. The crowd went absolutely wild, screaming and charging. But Kurama did not care.

The effects of Kuronue's words were slowly wearing off of him, like a drug that had caused him to go insane. Looking down at his feet, Kintai's corpse hung over the tips of Kurama's boots. Kintai's golden eyes were still full of tears... one trickled slowly down Kintai's cold cheek, never to be brushed away by the hand of a lover.

What had he done?

Kurama swallowed around a thick knot in his throat, his heart hammering wildly as he turned away from the sight of his violence. He left without hesitation, striding off the edge of the arena and leaping down onto the grassy knoll.

"Kurama-!" Kuwabara started, surging forward. Passing him silently, Kurama grabbed the handle of the large barring doors, and swung one open, slipping inside just as Hiei tried to grab his hand to make him stay.

The empty presence of Kurama was even more shocking that Kintai's dead body, which lay untouched on the arena floor.

_**(Scene Break) **_

After Kurama had utterly destroyed Kintai, the Valenshia team had opted out, carting out the bodies of their two dead companions with their heads low from grief. It had been a pathetic walk of shame, and Kuwabara had shouted himself hoarse at the crowd for all their booing and un sportsman like character. It had been horrible to do what the Urameshi team had done... but it had to be done none the less.

Yusuke not been quite as shocked as Hina and Yukina at Kuwabara's stories of the day, but he certainly had become uneasy at Kurama's display of uncharacteristic violence. When had their friend ever behaved that way without first being Youko? Could it be that the thin line which separated the silver haired King of Thieves and the gentle Shuichi Mianimino was thinning even more... would soon snap?

The entire group sat in the boy's common room, sipping strong cups of jasmine tea and trying to cope. Yusuke and Keiko were linked arm and arm, as Keiko stroked the top of Buson's head. The pup snoozed in her lap. Kuwabara had his arms crossed over his legs, allowing Yukina to lean upon his shoulder as they rested for the moment, sharing each other's cups of tea and thinking. Hina sat on the couch, slowly mending a tear in Yusuke's torn shirt from earlier that day. Botan, Koenma, and George all huddled in their own group, the spirit bearers uneasy with Kurama's change of behavior.

Kurama had locked himself in his room, and had not come out all night. Not even for dinner.

Hiei sat on the window ledge, refusing to look at anyone. Genkai had a feeling that every time Hiei blinked, he could see Therof's burnt face.

"...Has he said anything?" Yusuke asked, nodding in the direction of Kurama's door.

"Nothing." Hina sighed. "I'm extremely worried about him. Has he said anything out of character lately?"

Kurama was not one to speak his mind often, and each member of the team wracked their brains for a clue. After a long moment of thick silence, Hiei grunted from the window ledge.

"Yes."

"What?" Hina asked at once, turning to her son for clues.

"He told me he wanted to die." Hiei did not meet anyone's eyes as he said it.

"..._What?" _Yusuke demanded, unconvinced. Surely Hiei must have misunderstood.

Hiei said nothing for a long while as stars shined down dully thru the window. The sound of the ocean filled the quiet room as all eyes turned to Hiei's lone profile. It seemed that the more things changed, the more things stayed the same. Hiei did not seem willing to speak up.

"Imagine if Keiko were dead, Detective." Hiei spoke up, "How would you feel?"

"... You think he lost someone like that?" Yusuke dodged the question with another question.

"I know." Hiei snorted.

"What was his name?" Yusuke asked.

"...Kuronue..."

Silence fell at the sound of the name. Hiei shifted positions on the window seal to ease the dull pain in his lower back. Finally, he gave in. Turning to face his companions- his family-, Hiei sat with his legs swinging over the edge of the window, palms cupping the rough stone work and his head hung low with regret of his own.

"When Kurama was Youko, King of Thieves, Kuronue and Yomi were his two right hand men. Yomi was a hot head, and often got people killed for his lack of thought. Kuronue was the exact opposite. They balanced each other out and helped keep firm rule over their camp of men..." Hiei coughed before continuing on, pausing to make sure no sound could be heard from Kurama's room.

"Course, the big unspoken secret was that Kurama and Kuronue were lovers. Everyone knew it... Kuronue and Kurama were in love and it was outright obvious at times. Kurama kept it a secret, afraid that if someone knew, that they would use it against him... and they did." Hiei explained. There was no shift in the atmosphere. No judging change. It seemed that the fact Kurama preferred men did not worry their little group. After all, what was sexual preference in the eyes of life and death.

"One night after heavy drinking, Yomi confessed the secret to a pack of spies. They took their information to their master. Their master laid a trap... Yomi went right for it, not thinking as usual. Kurama and Kuronue followed him, attempting to keep him from killing their team. The Spirit Team was already hot on Kurama's tail by that time, and when they saw the opportunity for chaos, they took it..." Hiei paused, waiting to see if Kurama would make an appearance. The silence was a grave answer.

"The trap worked. Kuronue was caught in the thick of the battle, and without protection... Kurama was forced to watch him be slaughtered. Torn from limb to limb. Overcome with grief, Kurama destroyed everything and everyone... And in that chaos, a member of the Spirit Team stepped forward... and killed Kurama." Hiei sighed.

Botan clutched out her mouth to hide the trembling. Keiko bowed her brown head, putting her face into Yusuke's shoulder. Yukina merely blinked. She knew trauma too well to be affected by it. Kuwabara on the other hand looked shocked, and hung onto her a little tighter. Hina shook her head, feeling rather sorry for her red headed companion. The darkness, the blackness that had surrounded his ki.. It all made sense now.

" In Demon History, it's called the Day of the Dead. Every year on the anniversary of that day, hundreds of demons go the temple sight and pay homage to the event, thinking it will give them luck... Some say the temple grounds are cursed. They were closed off to the public after a few hundred years. It's a ghost sight... the whole place reeks of sorrow and hate... Kurama... He suffered. Still suffers." Hiei added. "You know the rest of the story."

"Holy shit." Yusuke whispered.

"Dude." Kuwabara shivered, "How come we didn't know about this?"

"Kurama didn't tell me." Hiei admitted, a little abashed, "I saw it in his thoughts once with my Jagan. I haven't told Kurama that I know. I highly advise that you don't either."

Genkai sighed. "The truest sorrow comes from loosing a lover." She spoke wisely.

"That's awful, man." Kuwabara hung his head.

"Makes you grateful fro the time you have." Yukina supplied, smiling at him in the hopes of cheering him up. It worked, and he smiled back.

"I knew everything." Koenma spoke up at long last. "...But... It wasn't my place to tell. Forgive me."

"I know how you feel." Hiei admitted.

"It's pitiful." Koenma sucked on his pacifier nervously, "I remember when Kuronue's file came thru. I still have it you know."

"Like you had mine?" Hina asked.

"Exactly." Koenma nodded, "He's staying in the same building you were. My father doesn't know. I didn't want to send him to hell like my father insisted. I just didn't see enough cruelty in his file. All of it seemed to be.. devotion. Love to Kurama. So I kept it. I'm still trying to make up my mind-" Without warning a sharp buzzing filled the room. Koenma jumped, jittery as his pocket shook with the force of something rattling.

"The hell-?" Yusuke demanded.

"My spirit phone!" Koenma was just as shocked as everyone else, and yanked it out of his pocket at once, "This is only used for emergencies!"

"Pick it up!" Botan hassled.

Koenma clicked open the oval phone, holding it close to his ear. For a moment there was silence as Koenma listened intently on the other side. "What?" Koenma shouted, agog.

The team waited with their breath held.

"When did this happen!" Koenma demanded. "Were they caught?"

Hina looked curiously at Botan who was chewing her lip in nervous apprehension.

"How much was taken? Just one? Thank god for that... but whose-.. I see..." Koenma closed his amber eyes. "I will return at once."

He hung up the phone, looking frantic. Rising out of his chair, Koenma jammed his little phone back into his pocket. "Botan!" Koenma snapped, "You're coming with me! Someone has broken into the Soul Vault and has stolen an orb!"

"Whose?" Botan cried out, shocked. Koenma gave her a fierce look.

"We must hurry!" He did not answer her question.

"You want us to come?" Yusuke asked, rising to his feet.

"No!" Koenma shouted him down, "You stay with Kurama. I will return as soon as things are stable. Until then, watch for my signal. Act as if I have not left. As if nothing has happened. Though you may not understand now, I am certain this is a trick being pulled by the enemy to distract you. I will act to simplify it at once."

Botan whipped out her oar at George ran too and fro, unable to hold still out of fear. But the experienced ferry guide was quick with her work. She lifted Koenma and George both into the air as Hiei pushed the window latch open letting in a strong breeze from the bluffs.

"Koenma-!" Hina could not stop herself, running to the window and nearly throwing herself out to stop the trio before they could disappear into the night. Her heart was hammering in newfound fear. "Whose soul did they take!"

Koenma pursed his lips, refusing to look at her.

"Hurry, Botan!" Koenma ordered. They were on the wind in an instant, gone in the next, leaving the entire group agog in their wake.

Hina clutched at her throat, holding back a scream. It could not be Yukiei. She refused to give into that fear. It could not be Yukiei.

It could not be Yukiei.

It could not.

_**(Scene Break) **_

Koenma hurried thru torn aisle after torn aisle. Ogres scrambled around him trying to nullify the damage but the chaos was overpowering.

"The whole office was turned upside down, sir!" George lead the way, "We're working as hard as we can to make sure each soul was put back in it's proper place... but... we weren't quick enough for a few."

"Each one of them shall be healed by our best. Take me to the scene of the crime." Koenma demanded sharply as Botan hurried along in his wake. Koenma's heart raced.

"Here sir." George lead them down the very last aisle to the center of the damage. Each tiny cubby hole where souls were locked tight for safe keeping was busted so that a million souls were scattered at their feet... but one cubby hole had been saved. It's glass was missing... but it's occupant was missing. Wiping the dirt and debris out of the way, Koenma read the name on the slot and felt his heat sink into the pit of his stomach at the sight:

"_**Yukiei" **_

"...Was anything left?" Koenma whispered, his throat tight.

"Yes sir. A note." George fished it out of the hole and handed it to Koenma at once. Spreading it open, Koenma read aloud.

"Ransom. I know who this man is in regards to the three I want. Deliver me Hina, Hiei, and Yukina and Yukiei will not be harmed. If my demands are not met, I will enslave his soul and use it against the Urameshi team to bring destruction. You have forty eight hours. ..." Koenma's mouth dropped. "...Shit.."

"What do we do!" Botan cried out.

"We need to alert the team. If we keep our heads, my father may not find out. That is what matters most-"

"What matters most?" Botan demanded, "What the _hell _is the matter with you! Yukiei could become enslaved!"

"So another soul is lost! So another soul is enslaved!" Koenma shouted his assistant down with never before seen rage, "Do you have any idea what will happen to Hina if my father finds out she was resurrected? Do you!"

Botan said nothing, gaping.

"George! You're in charge here! Keep everything calm and get these souls back in order! Make sure the damaged ones are taken straight to the infirmary. This whole wing is on lock down until I give the all clear! No one in or out! Let's go Botan!"

Koenma jerked her along in his wake, not giving her time to answer. George swelled with newfound pride.

_**(Scene Break) **_

"...Tall... Strong... Built hard... I like what I see." Tarukane chuckled.

His dungeon was dark. His chains were thick. They had to be to hold _him _down.

Hard rustling could be heard. Angry thrashing echoed off the dungeon walls.

"...You know what I like about you?" Tarukane paused as he puffed his cigar, looking the dirty, angry man up and down. "You and I are alike. We know what we want. We get what we want." Tarukane stepped forward, blowing the cigar smoke directly into his prisoner's face. "...Don't we... Yukiei..."

Tarukane's laughter bounced off the walls, maniacal and unending.


	13. Feisty Fox

_**The plot thickens. Aren't I a stinker? Things are going to get a little wild from here on out... I'm drawing fan art for this fanfiction, as a matter of fact! you can check it out at HYPERLINK "**__**.com**__**" **__**.com**__**/ that's my Deviantart website. Thank you all for the great reviews, and for being so patient. I'm really honored for all the comments and such. It's so great! :) After this fanfiction is done, I'm either going to re try doing Emiko, or maybe I will start my first slash romance. Idk. It's all up in the air. Here we go! :D **_

_**(Scene Break) **_

"...No..."

Koenma bowed his head, unable to look Hina in the eye as he delivered his dark news. Before the entire group, Koenma and Botan had told the gruesome tale, sharing the horrible update to gasps and grimaces. Hina's eyes were wide, full of tears about to be shed. Her knees were weak. Her heart felt like it would be torn asunder from the pain that shot thru it.

"I'm so sorry." Koenma whispered.

"NO!" Hina screamed, tearing at her hair. At once, Yusuke and Kuwabara attempted to restrain her, holding her tight as her knees gave out and she nearly crashed to the ground. She was crying now, unable to focus, unwilling to regain her senses. "NOOO! NOOO! _NOOO!" _She finally fell out of their arms, falling to the ground... unable to do anything but cry. Hirosekes bounced all around, like shining marbles that glittered sinisterly in the moonlight coming in thru the common room window. "YUKIEI!"

She did not move from the floor for a very long time.

_**(Scene Break) **_

After Hina's breakdown, a great hush fell upon the morose group. Tomorrow, they would be facing their next team, but instead of practicing and preparing for the battle the boys sat huddled around the dying fire, muttering to themselves and casting glances at Kurama's door. He still had not come out. The girls next door were morose and quiet, sharing tea and scones as they whispered hushedly, wondering what could be done to help Hina's pain. Yukina was distraught, hiccuping thru her tears as she thought of the father she never knew... doomed to live as she had lived by the same evil man's hands.

Around five in the afternoon, Hiei, Kuwabara, and Yusuke were hunched around the dining room table. Buson sat in Kuwabara's lap, his belly being rubbed as Kuwabara fretted over Yukina. Genkai was next door, making a fresh pot of tea for the girls. Koenma had returned to the Spirit world, attempting to try and re-install some order. Botan had gone with him.

Without warning, the phone on the wall rang, cutting thru the silence like a jackhammer on solid pavement. No one moved to answer it.

They knew who would be on the other end.

_Ringring...ringring...ringring...ringring... _

A rustling could be heard. Hiei looked over his shoulder, and was shocked to see that Kurama had _finally _resurfaced. He looked tired and yet refreshed. His face was fixed in an uncustomary scowl. His red hair looked frazzled, as if someone had shocked him with electricity, and there was something about his air that simply suggested violence and chaos. Yusuke and Hiei met each other's eyes as Kurama jerked the phone off the hook.

"What?" Kurama snapped, fisting the wall as he leaned up against it heavily. On the other end of the phone came labored breathing as someone snickered.

"Did you boys like my surprise?" Tarukane asked.

"What surprise." Kurama demanded.

"Don't play dumb, Kurama. It doesn't suit you." Tarukane chuckled.

"Then don't play innocent." Kurama retorted, "It certainly doesn't suit _you." _

There was a pause.

"You have twenty four hours to hand Hiei over. After that, I can't make any promises whether or not Yukiei will survive."

"Let me ask you something Tarukane, because I'm very curious. You do understand that money won't make you happy now. Did it make you happy before?" Kurama growled. "It certainly didn't make you smart. If it had you would know better than to threaten me. As a fox I tend to bare my teeth."

"Who needs happiness or smarts when your living the high life?" Tarukane laughed.

"The high life has no soul, nor heart." Kurama grumbled.

"Neither will Yukiei when I'm thru with him. Hand Hiei off tomorrow morning, 3 AM, on level four... Where we had that delicious dinner the night before. He comes alone. Try to pull anything funny and his old man won't live to regret it." Tarukane rounded.

Kurama paused. He looked over his shoulder at his team, who were staring at him with wide eyes, waiting for him to say something. Hiei would never admit it, but he was trembling in his chair. Kurama did some fast thinking, stroking his chin as he thought of his odds, and what he knew about Tarukane.

_...of course! _

"I've heard you like to gamble." Kurama changed the subject quickly.

"What can I say? I like my odds." Tarukane agreed.

"Surely this arrangement is boring to you, then. Wouldn't you prefer your favorite game instead of a simple switch?" Kurama slowly started to inch away from the team. He didn't want them hearing this. He walked into the other room, the phone cord stretching around the wall as he silently closed the door to his bedroom so that he was alone.

"... I'm listening." Tarukane breathed heavily into the phone.

"Let's make a gamble. If we win the tournament, we get Yukiei. If we loose the tournament... you get Hiei..."

"Not good enough."

Kurama bit his lip. Hating himself, he continued on.

"And Hina."

"Keep going."

"...And Yukina. You get all three of them."

There was a moment of silence as Kurama slowly whacked his forehead with his free hand, wishing he could put his head in a hole and _die. _Then, Tarukane burst out laughing.

"I like you Kurama!" Tarukane cackled, "You entertain me!"

"I'm not entertainer, Tarukane. Don't take me for one. Do you agree or not?" Kurama snarled.

"... Let me get this straight. You win this tournament that I'm in charge of... that I'm rigging... and you get Yukiei. You loose, which you undoubtably will, and I get all three Hiroseke makers. Hiei, Hina, and Yukina. Is that the term?" Tarukane warned.

"That's the term." Kurama bit his lip again till it was bloody raw. It would take a lot of nerve to look Hiei in the face again after this.

"... Alright. I'll bite. Good luck making it to the final round. The minute you loose... they're mine."

Kurama walked back out of the bedroom, closing the door behind him.

"The minute we win," Kurama snarled, "He's ours... and you're mine." Without another word, he slammed the phone on it's hook.

The group stared at him from the table.

"... Is there any coffee?" Kurama asked, lightly exhausted after that battle of wits.

"It's five in the afternoon." Yusuke spoke, his voice laced with worry.

"I'll take that as a no." Kurama sighed, moving into the kitchenette.

"Kurama," Yusuke turned his chair around so that Kurama didn't leave his sights, "What the fuck was that about on the phone?"

"Cream, sugar, or both?" Kurama offered another cup as he began the brew.

"KURAMA."

"Don't shout." Kurama snapped, "I have a headache."

"Yeah, well pull your head out of your ass and see how you feel!" Yusuke snapped.

Kurama sighed, sitting down the coffee cup. As the brew began to boil, he rubbed his eyes viciously. It was time to face the consequences for his actions.

"... Tarukane tried to demand me into delivering Hiei over to him with Yukiei as ransom. I managed to change the terms into something more suitable to his tastes and our advantage." Kurama explained. Hiei shifted nervously in his seat.

"...Yeah?" Yusuke egged him to continue on.

"A gambling game. One that he thinks he has rigged. We win the tournament, we get Yukiei. We loose..." Kurama paused as he met Hiei's eyes. He took a quick glance at his watch, determined to remember the time. It was possible this was the exact moment that his friendship with Hiei was about to end. "... We loose, we hand over not only Hiei, but Hina and Yukina."

For a moment there was dead silence. Then, without warning, Hiei threw his mug at the wall with all the strength he could muster. It shattered over the painting of the Toguro team, dripping down the canvas and staining the wall from the oils. He kicked his chair so that it went flying into the wall of the kitchenette, storming out and slamming the door so hard behind him that the hinges rattled warningly.

Kurama said nothing, pouring himself a fresh brew of coffee.

"He can throw a temper tantrum if he wants." Kurama grumbled, "I don't care."

"Are you _INSANE?" _Kuwabara cried out, agog.

"Are you planning to loose?" Kurama snapped.

"No!" Kuwabara flustered, "But-!"

"But what?" Kurama demanded, "But _what _Kuwabara? If you aren't planning to loose then we have nothing to fear."

"Kurama, I don't like these terms." Yusuke cut in.

"Oh, I see." Angry and sarcastic, Kurama ripped the phone off the hook, holding it out for Yusuke to take. "Then let's get Tarukane _back _on the phone and try to _beg _him for Yukiei. Is that what you want?"

"No!" Yusuke pushed the phone out of his face, "I want something that's fair!"

"The street life you lived and the life you live now are two completely different games. I know you like to play fair and I respect that. But this is not the time to hold your honor to your heart. This is the time to cheat, steal, and wiggle your way as much as you can, because I can guarantee you that Tarukane will do the same." Kurama put his coffee in the sink. He needed something stronger. Something darker. A need was rising up in him and he knew he had to quench it before disaster struck.

"It's not right!" Yusuke snapped.

"Its not... It's not fair!" Kuwabara added.

"Life isn't fair!" Kurama snarled, rounding on his two friends, "Life is _pain!" _They stared at him, eyes wide with shock, "Anyone who says otherwise is selling something." Without another word, Kurama looked thru the cabinets till his found his poison of choice... a bottle of Demon whiskey that glimmered like dark honey in it's bottle. Pulling it down, Kurama unscrewed the top, using it as a mock shot glass as he threw one back with haste. He grimaced as it burned his throat.

"Are you... drinking?" Yusuke gaped. He'd never seen Kurama drink. Ever.

"It's five in the afternoon, isn't it." Kurama mocked, swallowing the entire cup in one gulp.

"...Kurama..." Yusuke came out from around the table, his eyes locked on the dark figure in the kitchenette. "We need to talk."

"Why is that." Kurama's voice was dripping with uncharacteristic sarcasm. He filled up another shot and threw it back.

"Yesterday-"

"Yesterday is behind us. The day has started anew. Why not focus on the future."

"Don't pull that crap with me. Yesterday I found out something... something I wish I didn't know. But for all my wishing it's still in my head. Hiei may be able to keep quiet, but I'm a different kind of man." Yusuke warned.

Kurama's lip curled in disgust. He screwed the cap back on the whiskey.

"Yes, you certainly are." Kurama grumbled. "Whiskey?" he offered the bottle to Yusuke who knocked it aside as if it were molten lead.

"Fuck the whiskey, Kurama!" Yusuke shouted, "Do you really want to die?"

Silence fell as Kurama realized that Yusuke must have found out about his conversation with Hiei. He cursed his weakness and vowed to never voice his feelings again. He had been a fool to speak his mind so openly. Putting walls around his heart, Kurama continued on.

"It's not an issue of wanting." Kurama scowled. "We all die in the end."

"Yeah but some of us like to make the end come a little sooner. You better not pull anything funny, or I swear I'll bring you back and kick your ass till it's black and blue!" Yusuke shouted.

"How very thoughtful of you." Kurama sneered. He took another shot of whiskey. But before the bottle could touch his lips, Yusuke grabbed it and threw it into the sink so that it shattered in the basin, it's poison spilling down into the drain.

"You pull _anything!" _Yusuke added, "_Anything!" _

Kurama gritted his teeth. It was one thing to take a mans whiskey. It was another thing to pour it out. Closing the distance between himself and Yusuke, he squared off with his old friend while Kuwabara looked on in horror. It was like a scene from a bad dream that he couldn't wake up from.

"...What are you suggesting, Yusuke?" Kurama advanced, their foreheads nearly touching as they both glared at one another. Yusuke could smell the whiskey on Kurama's breath, "That I would go so far, so low, as to kill myself? ...Never... It's not the youko way. Now if you will excuse me. I have business to attend to."

Knocking yusuke in the shoulder as he passed, Kurama moved out of the kitchen, straight for the front door.

"Where the hell are you going?" Kuwabara demanded.

"To find Hiei." Kurama said over his shoulder, closing the door with a much gentler thrust.

_**(Scene Break) **_

Green... All things green... They had to go! Every little leaf, every little bud! Hiei shot them all with his ki, ripping up the vegetation of the lush forests of Hanging Neck Island, pummeling trees, cutting off the heads of flowers and strangling weeds. In his hot pursuit, he'd left the hotel far behind, not caring who he met along the way. How dare Kurama? How _dare _he? Hiei would have been glad to hand himself over for his father's sake! Hadn't he wanted to die before now? Hadn't he been willing to lay down his life with Shigure? He did not fear death! He feared loosing his family! And now his father, the man Hiei had always admired in his dreams, had always envisioned as being a hero, was in the clutches of the beast... and Kurama had offered up his mother and sister as bargaining bait? As if they were just animals in cages?

A rose glittered in a shrug. Hiei caught sight of it as he strangled a hibiscus bush. Eyes burning with pure hatred, he lit the rose on fire, watching it wither and burn with great satisfaction.

"Really Hiei. I thought you were made of stronger stuff."

Hiei whipped around, his eyes aflame. Kurama was leaning up against a tree, looking quite content amongst the wreckage. Without a word or a warning he charged forward, slamming his sword right next to Kurama's face so that it landed into the tree trunk with a loud '**THUNK' **and stood there quivering. Kurama did not move an inch.

"You.."Hiei seethed, "You have doomed my entire family!"

"You were planning on loosing the tournament?" Kurama asked coyly, no fear in his heart.

"I was _planning _on Yukina living her days out in peace! How the _fuck _can that be accomplished when you've got your own plans hanging over our heads?" Hiei snarled, shoving Kurama hard. It was all he could do. He had to shove. He had to do something, anything, to get this hatred out before it threatened to swallow him up and destroy him completely.

"My plans?" Kurama scoffed. "I think you're confusing me with Tarukane."

"You're just about as bad as him." Hiei shouted, turning away so that he could set another bush on fire, "Why did you have to bring my family into this?"

"That's a great lot of thanks to someone that just saved you from torturous conditions and unending sorrow. It could be your ass on the line, without a way out. You want that instead?" Kurama sneered.

"No! I want something... Something... civil!" Hiei shouted the final word, blowing up a tree with his ki so that a hundred black crows went flying into the air.

Kurama griped, snarling to himself. "GOOD LORD!" Kurama shouted, grabbing Hiei by his white scarf and shaking him lightly, "What _is it _with you and Yusuke wanting to be _fair _and _civil! _It makes me _fucking sick!" _

"Civility and fairness were the only things peaceful I had growing up! I couldn't stop the murdering, I couldn't stop the chaos! All I could was try to control it with fairness! All I could do was try to constrain it with civility! So forgive me if I hold those two honors close!" Hiei shouted back, shoving Kurama away.

Kurama rolled his emerald eyes, turning away from the fire demon. "There is no honor in the world, Hiei. There is only pain... and men smart enough to stay away from it."

Hiei was confused, and even a little bit hurt. Never before had he seen Kurama act like this... Never... It was almost as if this wasn't Kurama at all. As if...

Hiei drew a little closer, sniffing the air. A pungent aroma was in the air, like the smell of a thousand wild flowers... and blood. Blood, and hot metal. The smell of a youko.

"You don't smell human, Kurama." Hiei growled.

Kurama shout him a filthy look, "So?"

"You smell human when you're Shuichi." Hiei added, his intent clear. Whoever this was before him... it was not the human Kurama. Hiei was almost certain that it was something else. Someone much more cruel.

"You smell vile when you don't bathe. I hope that's what you were coming out here to do." Kurama jested.

Hiei pursed his lips. He was convinced now.

"How long?" Hiei asked.

"How long what?" Kurama snapped.

"How long have you been _Youko?" _Hiei demanded, bitter.

Kurama froze. He looked over his shoulder at Hiei, and in one sickeningly fluid motion, scarlet hair became silver... green eyes became amber... clothes that were fine were suddenly stretched almost too tight. Youko took Kurama's place, sneering at Hiei. His ears twitched. His tail flicked back and forth. Hiei held his ground, even as his instincts warned him that he was too close, that Youko was too strong.

"Since the battle." Youko finished.

"... I thought as much. No wonder you didn't come out of your room you fucking fox. You were trying to withhold your massive energy."

"Guilty." Youko raised clawed hands mockingly.

"Kurama would cut off your head, you little worm! If he knew what you've done-!" Hiei shouted. But Youko let out a sharp laugh.

"He knows. He's very upset."

"Yeah, well you can tell him that I don't consider it _his _fault. I hold _you_ accountable for all of it if my sister and mother suffer!" Hiei added in spite.

"Really Hiei. You sound as if you planned to loose. Would it be so hard to win?" Youko sneered.

"I don't care about those kinds of odds. There are only three things in life that matter to me, and you've put two of them in danger. Consider your third strike to be your final low blow. I'll rip off your silver head if you go that far." Hiei warned, flexing his right hand where the Dragon of the Darkness flame rippled in it's enormous aura, giving off an almost unbearable heat.

"I think Lady Mukuro can take care of herself. She did it for centuries without your help." Youko saw straight thru Hiei's words. Without another thought, Youko turned to leave.

"YOUKO!" Hiei shouted. Youko paused, looking over his shoulder, "Kurama and I may be allies... but you and I have unfinished business."

Youko rolled his amber eyes. "... You don't want me as your enemy, Hiei. Haven't you noticed the people I hate tend to end up dead?"

Without another word, Youko turned away... moving like a ghost thru the trees till he was out of sight.

_**(Scene Break) **_

Deep in the dark confines of Tarukane's holds, Tarukane sipped a glass of fine scotch as he beheld the handiwork of his thugs. Really, they shouldn't have gone so hard on Yukiei. How was he going to be used as ransom if he died before the end of the tournament? Tarukane smirked, tapping the ashes of his cigar onto his victims quivering bloody body.

"Change of plans, Yukiei. Looks like your family doesn't love you as I thought. They don't want to swap for you. They want to gamble with your life... I guess they don't really care about you that much since they're gambling against me. How does that make you feel." Tarukane paused, chuckling as Yukiei said nothing. "I shouldn't ask that when you've been tortured for sixteen hours. You probably don't feel too good, do you?" He laughed maniacally. "Still... that might hurt more than a hot iron strapped to your chest. What you thought they loved you? Think again, big guy-" Without warning, Yukie began to struggle, shaking his chains and nearly bending the table as he attempted to throttle Tarukane with his broken hands, "Oh don't get feisty now... Without your power, you're nothing." Tarukane clutched in his free hand the spirit orb that his thugs had stolen from the confines of the Spirit World Soul Vault. It had been almost too easy. Like taking candy from a baby. The glittering red ball flared up, as if indignant. "You're pretty much soulless. You know that right?" Tarukane laughed even harder as Yukiei fell, spent and wasted, back onto this cot, his chains clinking menacingly. "Well.. I'd best get out of your hair. I know you're a busy guy. You know what to do boys."

Leaving the filth behind, Tarukane snapped his fingers expectantly. Just before he closed the iron bolted door, he heard Yukiei shout in pain as the torture resumed.

He smiled fondly.

_**(Scene Break) **_

Night fell fast. The team huddled in the boys common room as Keiko made her best dishes in the kitchenette. They were ill prepared for the team they would face tomorrow, and hadn't even gone down to watch the matches. They had been much too worried around Hina, Kurama, and now Yukiei who was undoubtably being tortured into insanity.

"I made dinner, guys." Keiko stepped out of the kitchen, many hot plates of soup, raman, and noodles in her arms.

"Thank you Keiko, you're very kind." Botan smiled fondly. She had stopped by after Koenma had given her a four hour break from duty. She had used it to sleep, and now to eat.

"It was nothing, Botan. Here, have some more." Keiko added, giving her a second helping of Miso.

"You're a very good cook." Yusuke tried to charm her.

"Don't try and suck up, Yusuke." Keiko warned, ladling soup into bowls for the others to share.

"I like it too, Keiko!" Yukina offered, eating happily.

"You're so sweet, Yukina." Keiko smiled.

"Yukina's always sweet!" Kuwabara picked up at once, throwing down his chopsticks with a clatter to clasp Yukina's hands in his own, "It's because she's an angel..."

Hiei grimaced as he slowly sipped his soup.

"I wonder how much it would hurt if this soup spilled into his lap." Hiei grumbled.

"Probably a lot." Hina whispered from her chair, her knees pulled up to her chest as she laid her chin down.

"Good thing I won't be pouring it on him then." Hiei grumbled again, sighing irritably. He was not in the mood. After his walk with Youko, Hiei had returned to the room, only to be followed by Youko, who'd changed right back into the image of scarlet haired Shuichi.

"Don't listen to him, Yukina!" Kuwabara seemed unafraid of Hiei's taunts, "My love for you is endless! I would endure the pain to the ends of the earth!"

"...I know the feeling." Hina whispered, hastily wiping her eyes. Keiko smiled sadly, offering her a plate of food.

"Hina, are you hungry?"

"No, dear." Hina smiled up at the young girl. She rose out of her chair, stretching her back and refastening her loose obi. "I need to get out of this room. I need to walk."

"I'll go with you." Hiei rose up at once.

"No, Hiei, don't bother yourself." Hina smiled at her son.

"It's not a bother." Hiei shot down.

"I'll go with you too!" Yukina cried, getting to her feet. She hadn't told Hiei that she knew her relation to him... perhaps now would be a good time!

"I'm not traveling across the *Mohave Desert _**(see bottom for joke)**_." Hina joked. Both of you stay here."

Slowly, both Yukina and Hiei got back in their seats, both of them disappointed for their own reasons.

"...I'll go with you." Kurama offered, rising up, "Besides, I need some fresh air."

"Funny." Hiei snapped, giving Kurama (or should he say Youko) a mutinous look. "I thought you got plenty of air this afternoon."

"It really was too hot to enjoy our stroll." Kurama teased, his voice laced with inner menace. Hiei flushed angrily.

"Shouldn't play with fire then."

"Shouldn't light matches." Kurama shot back. Aggravated, Hiei continued on.

"Shouldn't put the matches in my hands!" Hiei added.

"Shouldn't open your hands to receive the matches."

"Shouldn't instigate matches in the first place!"

"Would you give it a rest-"

"_No!" _

"If it weren't for me." Kurama snapped, "you'd have been handed over to Tarukane in less that six hours. If you prefer it, go on ahead. I don't really care either way." He smirked at that.

"...What?" Yukina asked, shocked. Hiei stared at his little sister, afraid. What could he say to quell her fears?

"Shall I tell her?" Kurama toyed, "Or shall you?"

Hiei closed his ruby eyes, thinking fast. "I..." He opened his eyes to stare at Yukina.

He couldn't do it. "Nothing."

"Why would you have been handed over to Tarukane?" Yukina asked.

"I wouldn't have. Kurama's just being... rude." Hiei finished up, changing the subject fast.

"I've never known Kurama to be rude!" Botan added. "What's going on with you two?"

Hiei stared at Kurama, who towered over him. Gritting his teeth, Hiei bared out, "I don't know, _Youko! _What' going on?"

"Youko!" Botan cried out, agog. Forks and knives hit the table as all eyes shifted to Kurama, who stared with his mouth open.

"Touche." Kurama added to Hiei, who smirked.

"Are you Youko?" Yusuke asked on tenterhooks.

"Woah, woah!" Kuwabara threw his hands up in the air, "You look like Kurama!"

"Looks can be deceiving." Youko sighed. With a ripple of energy, the illusion was cut in half and Kurama vanished from sight to be replaced by silver, amber, and fox fur.

"...Where's Kurama?" Yusuke demanded as the girls shrunk back, slightly afraid, slightly enraptured by this greek adonis before them.

"Oh calm yourself, puppy." Youko sneered, "He's up here." Youko tapped his skull with a sharp clawed finger, "Just like he always is when I'm around." Youko's ears twitched.

"Why are you around, exactly?" Genkai asked.

"In my last battle I suffered a bit of a blow from an idiot wielding a scapulae. To heal myself, I had to resort to dark methods. Here I am." Youko spread his arms wide as if to say '_ta da!'. _

"What a clever little magic trick." Hiei spat under his breath.

"Says the man with a third eye." Youko added, not looking away from Yusuke.

"Least I don't have a tail!" Hiei jibbed. Youko grated his jaw, looking ready to rip Hiei a new one for that last comment. The tail was a low blow, and it flicked, aggravated.

"Hiei..."Keiko spoke up, fearful, "Kura-..um... Youko? Are you two okay?"

"Are we?" Youko sneered at Hiei who sneered back.

"Oh we're just peachy. Peachy keen. With strawberries and all that yummy shit you fruit cakes eat." Hiei cursed darkly, leaning back in his chair and massaging his temples as his third eye pulsed and drew off of his ki.

'_Slay him!' _His third eye hissed innerly, _'How dare he insult us?' _

'_Hush.' _Hiei warned.

' _You hush!' _The jagan was not one to be told what to do.

"Youko." Hina beckoned the fox with a flick of her wrist. "If you're going to walk with me, come on." She left. Youko followed after her, pausing in the doorway. "Oh and by the way Hiei." Youko snapped, "It's quite normal for a youko to have a tail. You'd know that if you had half a brain." With that, youko closed the door.

Hiei sneered. "Fruitcake." He muttered menacingly under his breath.

_**(Scene Break) **_

The night was full of sound, and yet quiet all the same. Crickets chirped, owls hooted, and the sea splashed on the rocky shores nearby. Hina and Youko walked side by side, working their way down to the coast line where the bluffs would prove an excellent place to talk in private.

"So." Hina murmured as they walked, her hands clasped behind her back, "We meet again."

"Indeed."

"Quite."

Yes."

"Mmm."

Hina sighed as they finally met the bluffs. Youko's comment about Hiei's enslavement had not passed her attention.

"Tell me everything." She requested.

"Yukiei is in Tarukane's clutches. Tarukane wanted to have Hiei handed over, with Yukiei as ransom. I knew we couldn't outwit his guards. They have to many, we are too few, we needed organization. We need a plan." Youko picked up a small flat stone and threw it far out into the sea.

"And a backup plan." Hina added, sitting down on a large rock and pulling off her wooden sandals to massage her feet.

"Yes. So I used what information I could to gather up a quick outlet from the deal. Instead of a switch, I offered a gamble game. Tarukane's favorite kind. He thinks he's pulling the strings, which is the only reason why he's going to go thru with this whole affair. He's not." Youko sneered.

"He's the head of the committee." Hina challenged.

"Tarukane is the head, money is the neck. The neck turns the head any way it wants. We take out the money, we control the committee." Youko threw out another room, growing board with his little game he leapt atop a rock. Hina looked up at the man she'd known in her past life. She felt like an entirely different person with Youko around. As if she weren't old. As if she weren't a mother yet. As if Yukiei was up at the hotel, waiting for her to return with his team in hand.

"We have no money." Hina scoffed.

"We don't. I do." Youko crouched down to stare at Hina admiringly, "The trick is how to get it."

"You have money?" Hina asked, slightly surprised.

"I wasn't called the King of Thieves for nothing... I put the terms before Tarukane: If we won, Yukiei would be returned to us. If we lost- which we won't- we'd hand over not only Hiei but Yukina and yourself." Youko explained.

"Excuse me?" Hina riled up at once, shocked and angry.

"You and every other man on this team seems to be under the impression we're going to loose." Youko chuckled, unafraid of Hina's temper.

"I don't care about winning or loosing. Keep my daughter and my son out of your gambling affairs!" Hina shouted.

"Your son had no way out. Your husband was the ransom. Wasn't it Hiei that said the family who slays together stays together?" Youko added. Hina let out a sound like a charging Rhino and shivered from anger, turning away to give Youko the silent treat him. Damn him! Damn him and his clever little tongue! How she wished she could rip it out of his mouth.

"Ah... Don't be like that." Youko snickered, letting one clawed finger slowly trail up and down Hina's spin. She shivered at the sensation, willing herself to remember that Youko and Kurama were two completely different people... that somewhere locked away inside of Youko, Kurama was probably screaming to be released. "You're much to pretty to be so angry."

"Stop." Hina warned.

"Stop what?" Youko teased.

"Stop _flirting." _Hina knocked Youko's hand away. "I know you're in there, Kurama!" Hina shouted, "And I'll have you know your split personality is a devil!"

Youko laughed and laughed. It was a completely different laugh than Kurama's. Youko's laugh was gentler, softer, more seductive. It was a dangerous laugh. Youko slid down from the rock, and before Hina knew it Youko had straddled her from behind, trapping her with his powerful thighs. Hina froze as Youko's head was laid upon her shoulder.

"I understand now why my son was so angry." Hina warned.

"Oh Hiei..." Youko laughed lightly. It wasn't a mocking tone. It was one of companionship. One of kindness, "He'll get over it. You see, Hiei is weak at heart. Don't get your feathers rumpled!" Youko added, for Hina had bristled angrily, "It's a compliment. Most demons are made of stone... Hiei is made of gold. He can't stay mad at me. It's against his mighty principles."

"...And what about _your _mighty principles." Hina added.

"I have none." Youko shrugged.

"You don't fight for the good?" Hina challenged.

"No. I fight for myself and always have. I get what I want. It just so happens that what I wanted for a long time included fighting people considered 'evil'." Youko smirked. "... That's why your husband and I never got along. But... he's not here right now."

Before Hina could stop him, Youko had taken her jaw in a firm hand, and had kissed her full on the mouth.

Gasping, Hina stumbled back in shock. Not knowing what else to do she pushed Youko away as hard as she could. One of her hands hit his throat, where the wound from before was still raw and healing. All at once Youko let out a shout of pain and fell to the earth, clutching his neck as if it was on fire.

"No!" Youko hissed, clawing at the earth as he tore at his neck. Hina hid behind a boulder, terrified, as Youko tossed and thrashed on the ground, wrestling as if with a devil, "No, dammit! No!"

He shook violently. Something wild was changing within him. Something strange was happening! Mist exploded and Hina struggled to see thru the newfound fog as Youko scratched himself and tore at his hair, as if going mad.

"No!" Youko yelped, his voice changing in pitch. His shape was shifting, his tail and ears were receding, "No! How the- how the fuck-?" Before her eyes, Youko's hair changed from silver to scarlet. His eyes shifted from amber to green. The wound on his neck was bubbling, as if from acid, and Kurama was back.

Kurama shivered on the earth as the mist receded, touching his neck and whimpering, clutching his mouth with trembling hands as he lay, broken and battered before Hina.

He was crying.

Hina had no idea how Youko had been forced to return to the back of Kurama's mind. She suspected it might have had something to do with the wound on his neck... Perhaps when she'd touched it, she'd healed it?

Kurama moaned in self disgust, sobbing into the earth as he banged his bloody fists on the rock beneath him. Hina touched her lips were Youko had attempted to kiss her only seconds before. She thought of Hiei, and how her son had quarreled with Youko. She thought of the conversation Youko had shared with Tarukane.

Youko had ruined Kurama in less than twenty four hours, or so he might think.

Unafraid, Hina withdrew from the shadows, moving forward slowly and dropping to her knees beside Kurama.

Poor Kurama. Poor child.

"It's alright." Hina murmured, touching Kurama on the shoulders and helping him to sit up as she drew him into her arms. "It's alright... It's alright. Everything is going to be alright."

"I'm-" Kurama couldn't get the words out as his entire body wracked with sobs, "I'm so _sorry! I couldn't stop him!" _

"I know." Hina smiled wearily. "I know." She held him as gently as she could, rubbing his back.

"_What have I done?" _Kurama wailed into the air, _"Oh god what have I done?" _

_**(Scene Break) **_

_***In regards to the joke, the Mohave desert is the largest desert in the world. The second is the Sahara. **_

_**Youko is quite the trouble maker. Next chapter, the Urameshi team will face the second round of the tournament as they wage war on Tarukane with Hiei, Hina, and Yukina's fates on the line. How long will Yukiei last? Will Kurama forgive himself for Youko's act? Will Hiei? Will they survive the second round of the Dark Tournament... or will their team be torn asunder forever...Find out next time!**_

_**Please Review **_


	14. The Jagan

_**Folks, are you ready? It's time for the major turning point in the story. :D Thank you so much for all of you who have stuck with me this far... I'm so excited to get us spinning off of the right track. In this chapter, the teams facing off in the Semi Finals will be decided... and Hiei will produce something he has never been able to before. Please enjoy the next installment of Mother in the Fire**_

_**(Scene Break) **_

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! WELCOME TO DAY THREE OF THE TOURNAMENT! WE'VE GONE THRU FOUR TEAMS ALREADY, AND THE NEXT TWO TEAMS UP ARE THE WINNERS OF THE FIRST TWO ROUNDS! BY THE END OF THE DAY WE'LL NOT ONLY HAVE A WINNER! WE'LL HAVE OUR SEMI FINAL ROUND SET OUT! WHOSE READY FOR SOME BLOOD!"

Inside the Urameshi locker room, it was ground zero for healing operations as Hina poured all the energy she could into Kurama who stared sullenly at the floor looking pale, clammy, and withdrawn. The fight was only minutes away, and Hina feared the disastrous results if Kurama were to attempt to wrestle now. He'd be crushed.

"Alright." Hina finished up her work, wiping her hands on the front of her light jade kimono and straightening her hair. "I've been boosting your ki all night._ Please _tell me you feel up for a tussle?"

"...I'm fine.." Kurama whispered, not meeting her eyes.

"Okay." Hina was ill convinced, "I'm going to wrap your neck wound in gauze. It's covered in an antidote that will keep youko in. Understand?" Hina asked, gently brushing Kurama's large mane to the side so that she could wrap his neck efficiently.

"I'm fine." Was his only answer.

Unnerved, Hina changed tactics, looking around the room for other jobs to be done. Kuwabara and Yukina were exchanging last minute 'I love yous' and 'Do your bests' while Yusuke kept pacing back and forth, clearly ready for a good scuffle. Hiei folded his white scarf, laying it on the tarnished bench as he pulled off his regular black tunic in substitute for a beat up light blue one. Tucking in his shirt and tightening his belt, he met her eyes briefly and gave her a small smile.

"How's your arm?" Hina asked her son.

"It'll do." Hiei replied shortly, tugging the bandages on his arm testily for comfort.

"Try to avoid using it." Hina begged him, "Alright?"

"I'll see what I can do." Hiei shrugged, "But I can't make any promises." Hina knew that her son did not want to use the Dragon, and it frightened her to know that he may very well not have a choice in the matter.

"Yusuke, charge up that gun of yours!" Hina started barking orders, unwilling to think about the outcome of Hiei's plight, "Kuwabara, just be yourself, that's man enough. Genkai-" Hina paused, as the elderly psychic gave her a light grin. "...Why am I giving you advice? You should be the one telling me what to do."

Genkai chuckled. "You're a good woman, Hina." She laughed.

"WHOSE READY FOR SOME BLOOD!" Came a shriek from outside. Hina knew it was the referee girl Koto, undoubtably trying to get the crowd excited. As if they needed any more enthusiasm.

"I ought to take that little girl over my knee and whip her hide raw." Hina shook her head, shooing the five out the locker room door as the five minute bell sounded, "Go." She even whacked Hiei lightly on the bum as he scooted past her, determined to make him run, "Go, go, go. Kurama-" Hina paused Kurama on his way out with a firm hand to his chest.

"...I'm fine." Kurama merely said. As soon as the other four were down the hall, Hina gave him a chaste kiss on the cheek.

"It's alright." She promised him, "Really."

"... I'm so sorry." Kurama did not meet her eyes.

"Don't be." Hina waved the apology off. She knew the promiscuous nature of Youko's and was not surprised when Youko had attempted to kiss her last night. What had surprised her was how hard Kurama had taken the blow, as if he was ashamed.

"Don't tell Hiei." Kurama begged, "Please."

Hina laughed at the thought of Hiei pummeling Kurama on the floor, "I promise you." She assured, "It'll be our little secret." And with that she sent him out the door.

_**(Scene Break) **_

"ON THE LEFT, TEAM MODHA" The came boos from the crowd "ON THE RIGHT... TEAM URAMESHI!"

The doors opened wide to reveal the screaming crowd, all of whom were on their feet. Koto was waiting in the middle of the arena, her arms held high.

"Let's kick some ass." Yusuke grinned, and the five of them moved onto the grassy knoll.

"TEAM CAPTAINS, TAKE TO THE CENTER!" Koto cried. Yusuke jumped up into the arena, waving to the wild crowd. Across the arena, a man leapt up. Tall, lithe, yet spidery looking he was black and ominous. Yusuke did not like the look of him at all.

The man licked his lips, "Urameshi..." Modha grinned, "Are you ready to eat some dirt?"

"Am I gonna have to look like you?" Yusuke sneered.

"Sticks and stones, little human." Modha rolled his black lifeless eyes.

"Team Captains, are you ready?" Koto asked, warily.

"Uhuh." Yusuke grinned.

"Very." Modha agreed.

"THEN LET THE FIRST ROUND BEGIN!" Koto cried out. The crowd screamed for blood.

"Atogi." Modha called over his shoulder, grinning lazily as he passed his teammates, "Take out the moron." He nudged to Kuwabara.

"You got it boss." A sluggish creature moved forward. Yusuke passed Kuwabara on his way off the arena who was all but ready to go.

"Kuwabara, you up-"

"I'LL TAKE OUT THIS SCUM EASY! SO LONG AS YUKINA IS BY MY SIDE, ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE!"

As Kuwabara leapt into the arena, Hiei was grinding his teeth. Kurama reflected inwardly that if he didn't stop he'd had a toothache by the end of the day.

"... I just want Atogi to hit him _really really really _hard. I don't want Atogi to win. I just want Atogi to hit him." Hiei ground out thru a clenched jaw.

Kurama smiled wearily. Some things never changed, "It could be Atogi dating Yukina." He supplemented.

Hiei shivered at the thought. "Uh... Don't talk like that."

As soon as the two fighters were squared off in the middle of the arena, Koto threw up the flag. "READY SET GO!"

"SPIRIT SWOOOOOOOOOORRRD!" Kuwabara's energy exploded into his right hand like a firecracker going off. "YOU'RE GONNA PAY, ATOGI!" He charged forward, sword in hand. Yet while Kuwabara was a bull in his movements, Atogi refused to move, squaring off with a deadly smirk on his atrocious lips. Kuwabara swung-!

But Atogi was gone. Kuwabara fumbled, nearly falling over. Looking around, he spotted Atogi halfway across the arena.

"At least aim for me." Atogi sneered. Kuwabara was enraged. They went around and around, Atogi dashing and Kuwabara slashing (at thin air), so much so that Hiei could see the beads of sweat dripping down Kuwabara's neck.

"He's just chasing smoke." Kurama grimaced. "He needs to reserve his energy otherwise he'll end up a sitting duck."

"Idiot." Hiei muttered under his breath.

"STAY! STILL! YOU! FREAK!" Kuwabara swung on each word, missing every time.

"Sitting duck syndrome. Here it comes." Hiei grumbled. Kuwabara stumbled, tiring out.

"Stay!...Stay... Ugh..." Kuwabara panted heavily, hands on his knees.

"There it goes." Hiei added.

Atogi appeared behind Kuwabara and slammed him hard in the back with a wave of foul smelling energy.

"AHHH!" Kuwabara shrieked, falling to the ground.

"Fool!" Atogi cackled, rearing back, "You think a weak human can take out me? Atogi the Great?"

"Atogi the goon more like." Hiei sneered. Kuwabara slammed Atogi with his spirit sword, but Atogi merely materialized elsewhere.

"You're a fish out of water little boy..." Atogi teased mercilessly.

"KUWABARA! STOP MAKING YOURSELF A TARGET!" Yusuke snarled.

"Shuttup Urameshi!" Kuwabara screeched "I've got this!"

Kuwabara's thinking was just about as loud as his talking. Hiei could hear it half a mile away without even trying from his jagan. _'Ive just got to stay still... use my spirit energy... and when he gets close enough... _

Atogi practically ate out of Kuwabara's palm, his gross ego allowing him to think himself invincible. Atogi was too busy laughing to notice Kuwabara rearing back silently with his spirit sword, and by the time he realized it was too late. Kuwabara sliced Atogi's arm off so that it fell with a great spurt of blood and mud. "DAMN!" Atogi shrieked.

"How's that for weak human?" Kuwabara chanted.

"Fool!" Atogi shouted, rearing back, "Do you think an arm is all it will take to ruin Atogi the Great?"

"There he goes again with 'Atogi the Great' What makes him so great?" Hiei asked Kurama, who shrugged his shoulders.

"SILENCE FOOL!" Came a shriek. Hiei whipped around, his hand out in front of his jagan which warned him on an approaching object. With unnerving skill, he caught a dart just before it hit his jagan dead in the center. Fire sparked in Hiei's eyes, though Kurama kept a firm hold on his shoulder.

"That's it!" Kuwabara screamed. "You can kick me around all you want but when you bring my friends into it you really piss me off!"

"Don't make me laugh!" Atogi sneered. Hiei tried to sooth his temper but his jagan was pulsing angrily.

"I've heard enough tales about you two to fill a book! You hate him!" Atogi added.

"Shuttup!" Kuwabara shrieked, charging forward with spirit sword in hand. "YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT!" And, without further ado, he began to slice and dice. Atogi couldn't get away, Kuwabara was much too angry and much too strong. Atogi began to bubble and fizzle from all the spirit energy, slowly becoming a black puddle and slipped to the floor around Kuwabara's feet.

"KAZUMA!" Hiei screamed, using Kuwabara's first name. It shocked Kuwabara (not to mention Kurama and Yusuke), "GET OUT OF THE PUDDLE!"

"What?" Kuwabara cried out, but it was too late. The so called puddle was but a trick, and as it rose up, it swallowed Kuwabara whole so that all they could see was a struggling black mass.

"It'll suffocate him!" Genkai shouted.

"KUWABARA!" Yusuke howled, enraged and fearful.

Kuwabara struggled with all his might. Just by the grace of god, he managed to find a weak spot and tore himself free of his imprisonment. "What the heck, man?" Kuwabara demanded, finally breaking free of Atogi's hold and rolling away.

"You think they call me Atogi the great for nothing? I am indestructible!" Atogi cackled, reshaping himself into a solid human mass. He sharpened his claws, licking his bloodied fingertips were he'd scratched and scathed Kuwabara. "You cannot defeat me, weak little human! Accept your fate!"

_Crap what do I do? _Kuwabara thought, panicking as Atogi slowly began to slither forward like a snake. Hiei could sense his growing anxiety, and, throwing caution to the wind, contacted him with his jagan.

It was a strange sensation, going into someone else's mind. Sometimes when a person was invaded they would throw up brick walls, trying to keep hidden embarrassing or private moments of their life. Some people would simply allow the intruder to rifle thru their thoughts like pages of a book... Kuwabara was a mix of both.

_Kuwabara... can you hear me... _Hiei pressed a finger to his forehead to strengthen his signal. Kuwabara visibly blanched.

_Hiei? How the hell are you in my head? _Kuwabara all but shouted back. Hiei winced. It was clear that no one had ever contacted him in this fashion.

_My jagan, fool. Do you so easily forget I am a telepath? This cretin has little to no spiritual energy. His entire strategy revolves around his reproductive gene. What you need is to seek out the source of his power. Use your spiritual awareness. I have faith in you. _Hiei added gently. Kuwabara started his search, squinting his eyes.

_I think I've got it... yeah! It's in his stomach! _Kuwabara grinned from ear to ear.

_Then gut the pig and get it out. Destroy it and you destroy him. _Hiei explained.

Kuwabara, with re-found strength and confidence, prepared himself to strike. Atogi made it almost too easy. Charging forward, the cretin leapt high, with the intention to cut off Kuwabara's head, but Kuwabara ripped open his stomach, so that blood and mud showered out everywhere, and, in a single swipe, wrenched out a blood red stone that pumped feverishly. Atogi howled in pain, falling to the floor of the arena and thrashing wildly. Throwing the stone up into the air, Kuwabara sliced it several times. It exploded, and so did Atogi.

"GROSS! BY COMPLETE ANNIHILATION ATOGI FALLS DEFEATED AND KUWABARA IS THE WINNER! URAMESHI TEAM TAKES THE POINT!" Koto cried out. The crowd burst into cheers, always the lovers of blood baths. But instead of looking unhappy, Modha merely smiled as Kuwabara strutted on the arena floor.

"Good..." Modha chuckled darkly.

"Good?" Kuwabara snapped.

"Atogi was weak. We needed him out of the way to score a complete round." Modha burst into into icy laughter.

"...They set him up." Kurama whispered, shocked.

"Bastards." Hiei growled, balling up his fists.

"You set up your own teammate to die? That's low! that's fucking low!" Kuwabara shrieked.

"You human's put morals into everything... it takes a true competitor to put emotions out of the ring, and use every weakness to his advantage. That's why we're going to win, and you're going to die." Modha finished, pointing an ominous finger at Yusuke.

"WHO WILL BE THE NEXT TO TAKE TO THE RING?" Koto waved a hand, expectantly. Kuwabara leapt off the stage, wiping his clothes clean on the grassy knoll. But he stank of blood and mud non the less.

"...Bieli..." Modha turned to his only female teammate, a woman with long blood hair and plump ruby lips that smirked. "Take out the midget."

"Easy." She cackled, flipping her hair out of her face and slowly ascending the arena floor with grace.

"FOR TEAM MODHA, BIELI! This is one of the few times that a female has graced our ring!"

"Midget?" Yusuke tried to act surprised by the taunt but Hiei grimaced.

"Three guesses who." he grumbled, making his way to the arena.

"Genkai's pretty short-"

"Yusuke, don't try and act like a fool. That's Kuwabara's job." Hiei taunted, "I'm a big boy, I assure you I can take a blow on my height. Besides, I may be small but I'm big at the same time."

"Too much information." Kurama pursed his lips, sing songing under his breath.

As Hiei ascended the stage, Bieli was full of taunts.

"I can take a freak like you out in minutes!" Bieli cackled, charging up her arms as if they were metal rods. They crackled with amber energy that glowed ominously.

"READY SET, BEGIN!" Koto cried, backing out of the way.

"HALO STRIKE!" Bieli screamed, throwing a boomerang full of crackling yellow energy Hiei's way. With expert technique Hiei did a quick twirl, so that the boomerang missed him by inches and headed straight back for his owner. Bieli gaped, having no time to get out of the way as her own powers were used against her and she crumpled to the floor in a burst of light.

"IN A SURPRISE ATTACK HIEI NEARLY TAKES BIELI OUT WITH HER OWN ATTACK!" Koto narrated on the edge of her seat, "WHAT ELSE DOES THIS FIGHT HOLD?"

_He likes to make people look like fools... _Bieli thought to herself, hunched over on the ground in pretend pain, _But let's see how he fares at his own game... _And so, she burst out into cries.

"Ah!" She fell down to her knee in fake agony, waiting, "You going to kill me like you killed Therof?"

Hiei blanched, but firmly held his ground.

"It is not my intention to kill." Hiei growled.

"Intentions, intentions... ah!" Bieli ducked her head, grinning maliciously as Hiei inched closer... closer... _Any minute now, he'll get a taste of his own medicine. _She thought.

"IT LOOKS LIKE BIELI HAS ALREADY FALLEN NOT TWO MINUTES INTO THE MATCH! Will she be able to rise up?" Koto wondered aloud.

"Get up." Hiei snapped, "Get up you're not that hurt."

"You bastard..." Bieli came up with a clever lie, "I was pregnant!" She faked a look of agony. It was all it took. Hiei gaped. In the split second that his guard fell, Bieli shot forward, taking him by the ankle and throwing him to the floor where she pulled out multiple seals, slamming them on either side of Hiei's legs. A current sprang to life- He was trapped! He could not rise from the floor!

"Pregnant my ass!" Bieli cackled, towering over him, "Ha! You're the fool here, Hiei, not me. You think I'm going to be that easy?"

_Damn! _Hiei hissed inwardly. He was unable to move from the waist down, unable to get even an inch of the seals loose with his hands. What could he do? Unable to defend himself, Hiei ripped open the loose bandages on his arm, and Bieli froze mid taunt, her eyes locked on the dragon.

_If he hits me with that dragon, I'm fucked! _Bieli thought to herself.

_If I hit her with the dragon- _But Hiei grimaced, _No... No. I promised Hina. I won't do it. _Slowly, he lowered his arm.

"Wasn't it you that said if you're not good enough without them, you'll never be good enough with them! Let's see how you fare without your legs!" And, without warning, Bieli kicked Hiei straight in the crotch.

"AHH!"

"Low blow!" Yusuke booed from the sidelines, screaming out his rage, "LOW FUCKING BLOW!"

Up in the stands, Keiko and Shizuru were all but squalling.

"THAT'S CHEATING!" Keiko screamed, "YOU CAN'T KICK A GUY THERE!"

"YOU LITTLE WHORE!" Shizuru seethed, " WHY DON'T YOU COME UP HERE AND FIGHT A REAL WOMAN!"

"Leave him alone!" Kuwabara shrieked, his eyes bugging out of his head.

"Hiei!" Kurama cried out in shock.

Slowly, with an agonizing pain filling his groin, Hiei pushed himself up with his sword. by Bieli's power, he was still unable to move from the waist down, cemented to the floor.

"Oh my oh my..." Bieli sauntered, a saucy smile on her painted lips, "What to do with a handsome man like you... DOUBLE HALO BLAST!" Bieli screamed, her arms out in front as she shot forward a burst of energy much like Yusuke's spirit gun. Hiei narrowly deflected it with his jagan, soaking up the energy and mingling it with his own.

Bieli seethed in rage.

_Fine! _Hiei heard her think with his jagan. _Avoid that all you want you bastard! You'll never avoid my Halo Charge... so long as you hold onto that sword of yours, you're a lightning rod! _

Hiei's eyes widened as Bieli spread her hands wide, electricity spreading from finger tip to finger tip. Her eyes lit up in a golden flame as a wild spiral of energy showered down from her limbs.

"So you like to run from fate!" Bieli cackled, "To bad! HALO CHARGE!" And, without thinking, Hiei threw his sword at her. Though only the hilt of it touched her, the effect was unbelievable. Bieli was slammed as if by lightning, flying out of the ring and colliding with the opposite wall of the arena where she fell in a pile of rubble and debris, smoking.

"HOLY COW! WITH A LIGHTENING BLAST HIEI HAS TURNED DEFENSE INTO OFFENSE! BIELI IS OUTSIDE THE RING! I'LL START THE COUNT! ONE! TWO! THREE!" Koto nearly said the word 'four' as Bieli rose up from the rubble, her clothes so singed that they barely gave her decency. The crowd catcalled and jeered as she hastily wrapped her hand in front of her to hide her breasts which were slightly showing. Burning with shame and anger, Bielie's cheeks were glowing bright red. Hiei used the only advantage he could and peered into her mind with his jagan.

_Bastard! Absolute bastard! That charge should have smoked him! He must have known what I was thinking... Yes... Yes...! He's using his Jagan! You mother fucker you can hear every word I'm saying! You think you're going to win? You're dead wrong... I have something on you that'll make your head spin!_ Bieli seethed inwardly. Hiei panicked, as she hid from him her attack plan. Something bad was coming, he could sense it. His jagan was struggling, giving him signals he'd learned to interpret long ago as imminent danger. But what could he do? He was strapped to the ground and he'd promised not to use his dragon! His sword lay melted to the arena floor, completely useless. Preparing to use the Fists of the Mortal Flame, he aimed high-

But Bieli was two steps ahead of him. Her hands twirled, as a bright green energy flew from all around her, like a spiral of sinister light. She held it tight into a compact ball, and, like a pitcher to the mound, she threw it straight at him.

"_**JAGAAAAAAN BOOOOOMB!" **_Bieli screamed.

For a second, Hiei's normally red iris' turned bright green as the enormous light filled his eyes-

And then, the bright jet of green light slammed into Hiei's jagan.

Several things happened very fast. Hiei let out an animalistic scream of pain that shot the hairs up on the back of Kurama's neck as Hiei crashed to the floor of the arena. Blood shot out everywhere in great arches of red as his jagan pulsed and quivered, mortally wounded. Bieli let out a shrieking cackle of victory.

"Ha!" Bieli screamed, "Victory is mine!"

"HIEI!" Kurama screamed out, almost climbing into the arena as Kuwabara held him back.

"ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR-!"

Hiei had never been in so much pain. Only once had he ever been to the point of insanity, and that had been when his jagan was first implanted. Only once before had he wanted to tear out his own eyes, to die if only to rid himself of the pain-! Blood shot out everywhere, like an enormous shower of scarlet, as Hiei's jagan pumped it's last bit of life blood... and died. The agony was unbelievable. Hiei tore at his jagan with his hands, unable to hold it in, unable to find a way-!

"EIGHT, NINE-!"

"...It's over..." Kurama whispered, barreling in shock.

"TEN!" Koto screamed, throwing Bieli's hand up into the air, "TEAM MODHA TAKES THE POINT!"

The crowd burst into boos and jeers as Bieli sneered at her unwilling audience. But the Urameshi team was far from involved. Yusuke jumped the rail of the arena, knocking Bieli out of the way so that she fell to the ground shocked as he came to Hiei's aid. He was not the only one. Kurama was right behind him, were Kuwabara and Genkai.

"Stand back." Genkai snapped. With six hands in the air as Kurama, Yusuke, and Kuwabara refrained from touching Hiei, Genkai focused her energy and dissipated Bieli's magic with a sizzle. Hiei's legs were free.

"hiei! Hiei!" Yusuke knelt down, scooping up his old friend, "Hiei answer me!"

But HIei's only response was a gurgle as blood dripped out of his mouth. His eyes rolled up into the back of his head, showing only white.

_**(Scene Break) **_

"...Something is not right..."

Hina stood up, shivering in the locker room as she heard the screaming and booing coming from outside. Yukina stood up as well.

"Mother?" She asked, afraid.

"Stay here." Hina commanded, shaking with fear as she grabbed her healers bag and ran out the door, "STAY HERE!" Terrified as to what she might see, she threw open the doors of the arena to behold the entire team crowded around someone in the middle of the arena.

She couldn't see Hiei. Where was her son?

"Hiei?" Hina ran out onto the field, climbing into the arena with a bit of difficulty, "HIEI? HIEI!" She ran to the center of the arena, slipping on sticky red blood as she shoved Kurama and Kuwabara aside, dropping to her knees to her son's side.

Hiei's forehead was a gashing wound. His jagan was gone, completely gone, leaving only a terrible wound, "HIEI!" Hina screamed, unable to contain her fear, "ANSWER ME!"

But he did not.

"What happened?" Hina demanded, tears in her eyes and fears in her heart as she yanked open her bag with trembling hands, pulling out the first roll of gauze she could find and bandaging his head. She had to stop the bleeding- _she had to stop the bleeding! _

"Something I've never seen before!" Kurama's face was pale but his hands were steady as he pulled Hiei's hair out of his face so that Hina could semi-bandage the wound. "Something called a 'Jagan Bomb'."

"Hiei..." Hina whimpered, unable to complete her task as she held her son close. She couldn't stop herself as tears started to drip down her cheeks, "Hiei answer me!"

But Hiei did not speak.

"You see!" Came a cackling voice. Yusuke looked up to see Modha on the sidelines, grinning at the sight of the chaos. "You can't win. Our team is unstoppable. And now one of your own will pay the price for his ignorance. Good riddance." At this, Modha let out a laugh.

"THAT'S IT!" Yusuke shrieked, fighting tooth and nail to get out of Kuwabara's hold as he attempted to run for Modha, "You cock sucking-!"

"Yusuke!" Kuwabara begged, using his first name for once.

"He's mine!" Yusuke snarled.

"Fair enough man, but Hiei's health is on the line! It's the most important thing right now. That jackass is a sealed envelope but Hiei's life is still on the table! First things first!" Kuwabara shouted. Yusuke's temper shorted out, and he straightened his rumpled jacket.

"Um... Excuse me..." Yusuke looked over to see Koto timidly tapping Hina on the shoulder, "I know your players injured but we still have other fighters waiting. If you could move him off the arena, we'd be very appreciative." Her voice wasn't condescending, but it was firm.

"Fine." Yusuke grumbled. "But it's personal now." He pointed at Modha with Hiei's blood on his hands.

Together, Kuwabara and Yusuke gently hoisted Hiei out of Hina's arms, taking him together as they moved off the arena floor and into the cool hallways of the locker room. Hina rose up on shaky legs, her kimono soaked in blood. Unsure what to say, where to go, she stood there in the middle of the arena, numb.

The entire audience was booing, screaming, jeering, cheering... She looked up, her eyes wide yet blank as her sons blood dripped down her arms and lap, soaking her shoes so that her feet made strange squishing sounds.

Genkai was there. Genkai lifted up Hina's bag, taking her firmly by the hand and pulling her away. Only Kurama was left on the arena floor, his eyes locked on the Modha team. He knew what must be done.

It was with trembling limbs and quivering lips that Hina slowly made her way into the locker room hallway, unable to figure out what to do first, who to talk to, what to say- where did she begin?

"WHAT A PAINFUL FIGHT TO WATCH! LOOKS LIKE HIEI GOT A TASTE OF HIS OWN MEDICINE FOR ONCE! GIRL POWER! WHO WILL TAKE ON TEAM MODHA NEXT?" Koto cried out as the Urameshi team left the field, save for Kurama who stood in the arena, with his fists balled up.

"I will." Kurama answered shortly, his feet and hands coated crimson.

"FOR TEAM URAMESHI, KURAMA! FOR TEAM MODHA-!"

"Take out the old man, Taru." Modha sneered. Taru, for his cooperation, was duly awarded with a round of applause. Taru was a tall and lithe young man with hard eyes and long fingers like a spider. It did not matter to Kurama. Taru would be dead soon.

Slowly, ever so slowly, Kurama peeled back the gauze from around his neck.

"Ha!" Taru laughed, leaping onto the arena. "This'll be a piece of cake. You ready grandpa?"

"...Don't worry Hiei." Kurama whispered, letting the last bit of gauze fall to the floor. He could feel the change coming, Taru stood no chance. "Yusuke and I will make short work of this. They will pay."

"READY SET GO!"

Taru made to leap forward, spikes protruding out of his arms with deadly poisoned tips. He flew at Kurama, but Kurama deflected him easily.

"ROSE WHIP!" Kurama cried.

It was over before it began. Kurama sliced and diced, his rose whip flying in all directions as Taru hung in mid leap, his eyes wide. Blood spurted out of Taru's eyes, nose, and mouth as Kurama cut him across the stomach, arms, legs, head-

Taru crashed to the ground.

He was dead.

"HOLY HELL!" Koto was in awe, squealing as if she'd been delivered a present. Modha's mouth hung open in shock. Bieli pressed herself flat against the wall. Kurama did not care. He slung his whip, extending it to it's full length, and in a flash of a second he'd placed a deadly seed at it's tip. It swung high into the air, and planted itself into Bieli's flesh. She had no idea. "THE FIGHT IS ALREADY OVER! TARU IS DEAD!"

She would be dead too in a few minutes.

"...How?" Modha whispered, fingers over his mouth

"Easy." Kurama smirked, retying his gauze, "I fought for a friend. He fought for a win." With no remorse, Kurama kicked Taru's chopped up corpse to the side so that his and Hiei's blood mingled on the floor, dark and bright crimson that swirled together in a macabre puzzle. "And soon, both of you shall be dead."

"Both?" Bieli sneered, but her sarcasm was short lived. Kurama watched with great satisfaction as her sneer fell into a frown. She touched the top of her head, shivering. Kurama smirked.

Slowly, torturously, Bieli crashed to her knees as vines slowly twirled underneath her skin, eating her alive from the inside out. Modha backed away, disgusted, as Bieli whimpered and tried to pull the vines out of her skin. But for every vine she pulled, six more appeared, and soon her skin was a dark green, slowly dissolving her into a plant like state.

She crashed to the ground. She was dead.

"NOW WITH A SIDE ATTACK KURAMA HAS TAKEN OUT BIELI AS WELL! I HOPE YOU RADIO VIEWERS GET TO A TV SOON BECAUSE I DIDN'T KNOW FIGHTS COULD GET THIS GRUESOME! IT'S A DREAM COME TRUE!" Koto squealed. The audience roared.

Kurama turned to leave, leaping off the arena floor onto the grass where a bloody train footprints lead into their locker room.

As soon as the metal doors slammed behind him, Yusuke took his place, passing him so close that their shoulders brushed.

"Killed the other two, take out Modha." Kurama murmured.

"Easy as shit." Yusuke cursed, slamming the door behind him as he left. Kurama pitied Modha, who had utterly no idea what he was about to get into.

As soon as he walked into the locker room, a terrible gruesome sight met his eyes. Kuwabara was bloodied all over, covered in Hiei's trauma. Yukina was panicking, her breathing growing anxious and tense as she poured all her energy into her brother's still form. Hina was right beside her, pouring out even more healing energy. But even the pair of them combined were not enough to keep Hiei from bleeding out. They needed a surgeon. They needed one fast.

"I need to get into contact with Shigure, but I don't know how!" Hina cried out.

"Whose Shigure?" Kuwabara asked, fearful.

"I thought everyone knew Shigure." Hina wiped her brow with her bloodied hand so that a red streak appeared on her forehead. "He's the demon surgeon who installs Jagans! But I'll be damned if I even know where he is."

"I know where he is." Kurama spoke up at once. He would undoubtably be near Mukuro!

"Kurama!" Hina whipped around, seeing him in the corner, "Get back out there and fight!"

"I already did. I killed him. And Bieli." Kurama added. At Hina's shocked expression he continued on, "Perks of having a notorious killer inside of you. I know how to get into contact with Shigure. Leave it to me!" Kurama turned to go, running out of the room.

"Please hurry!" Hina whispered, sending a fervent prayer up to god as she continued to pour energy into her sons limp form... They were running out of time; and Hiei out of blood.

_**(Somewhere Deep in the Demon World) **_

Shigure sat upon his stool, cleaning his chest blocker with a well worm cloth as the sun slowly began to set.

His hut had been home for a long time, but now a days it felt vacant without certain people running around. Shenzy had left for a better life, as had Aiko... it was sad not to see the two little three pronged girls, running around and collecting flowers at his doorstep every morning when he woke up. Their parents had been his neighbors as long as he could remember. Now a days, he felt as if he was all alone in the world.

It had been a long time since Hiei had visited him as well.

Something strange began to stir at Shigure's window. Paranoid, the surgeon grabbed his phosphorous ring sword, ready to slice whatever came over the threshold. He was expecting a demon. What he found was a flower.

"What the fuck...?" He murmured. What happened next surprised him even more. A folded letter came up from inside the flowers bud, so that as it bloomed, the letter unfolded. "...Okay?" Shigure raised a pierced eyebrow, setting down his sword and plucking the letter out of the foilage. Opening it, he scanned it's contents.

"Shit."

He grabbed his emergency bag, always laying by the door (just in case). Slamming the door behind him he ran out the front steps, his mission set.

He had no time to loose.

_**(Scene Break) **_

"I'VE NEVER SEEN SUCH A BRUTAL FIGHT!" Koto screamed, all but having an orgasm as she jumped up and down, "THEY'RE TEARING EACH OTHER APART!"

It was a tight battle. Modha might have had fancy techniques, but Yusuke had brute strength. The two clashed, not unlike how Sensui had tossed Yusuke about. But the Mazoku was not about to be taken for granted, and Modha realized that no matter how hard he played, he would loose.

"You think you can win, Urameshi?" Modha screamed, firing blast after blast as Yusuke leapt thru the fray, "I refuse to be taken out!"

"Face it jack ass! This fights for a friend! He didn't bow out and neither will I!" Yusuke screamed, " SPIRIT GUN!" A wild explosion forced Modha into the stands as half of Section 10 exploded upon impact.

_**(Scene Break) **_

"Sir you can't go back-" but before the word 'there' came out of the guards mouth, Shigure had lifted him up with one hand and thrown him into the wall, descending into the tunnels behind the arena.

He didn't have to look far.

"Shigure!" The crimson haired Youko came running up the darkened pathway, flagging him down with bloodied hands. Undoubtably Hiei's.

"Where is he?" Shigure demanded, following Kurama back into the gloom of the underground.

"This way!" They both hurried to the locker room. As Shigure passed door after door, he could smell the overpowering stench of blood and miasma, clearly a jagan in distress. He had to hurry!

It didn't take them long. Shigure grimaced to find the locker room with the door flung wide open, blood all over the floor, the walls, the windows... Hiei was in the middle, laying on the table, blood covering him from head to toe.

"...Hiei." Shigure whispered. All eyes turned towards him, their expression in unison. _'What do we do?' _

_**(Scene Break) **_

"You think that shiny little gun of yours is going to stop me?" Modha was loosing strength to continue as he threw bombs left and right, not unlike Karasu. But Yusuke just dodged them. He couldn't take it!, "WAVE OF DARKNESS!" And a black tidal wave descended upon the spirit detective.

_**(Scene Break) **_

"I need my space." Shigure barked, "Back up!" Yukina, Kuwabara, and Kurama pressed themselves against the wall. Hina refused to leave her sons side, covered in his blood and shaking from head to toe. "The Jagan Bomb..." He knew it from the second he saw it. The split iris, the exploded pupil.. it wasn't mean to injure, it was meant to _kill. _"The fucking moron. Whoever did this thought they could blast his brain open. They were an idiot. The Jagan stopped most of the damage but there will difficulties to it's operation. I'll have to reorganize the entire iris and construct a whole new pupil."

"Make...Them... Leave..."

Hina let out a tiny gaps as, from Hiei's bloodless lips, words fell. It was the first time she'd heard him speak since she'd found him dying on the arena floor, and they instilled so much hope, so much fear, into her.

"You're right." Shigure agreed, pulling out a pair of sheering scissors which he used to cut away what remained of the scarf Hiei used to conceal his jagan. "I'm going to need all of you to leave the room."

Yukina was quick to comply, trembling but hand in hand with Kuwabara. Kurama paused in the doorway as Hina took a fierce stand.

"No!" She seethed, baring her teeth, "I won't!"

"Leave, or I'll have you thrown out!" The surgeon and mother were practically head to head.

"You better have a battle plan going in." Hina warned. Shigure sneered at her. But Hina's expression softened. "...Please..." She whispered. "I'm his mother."

Shigure paused. Their eyes met.

"Fine." He grumbled. "You stay. Everyone else goes."

_**(Scene Break) **_

"SHOT GUN!" It was the end, and Modha knew it. With a straight blast to the face, Modha was utterly whipped, thrown into the wall of the damaged arena where he slid down into a pile of rubble... Yusuke flitted over to his broken opponent, the man who, for the past twelve hours, had abused, berated, and nearly killed a member of his team. This would not go unjustified. Leaning down close so that only he and Modha could hear, Urameshi whispered in his bloody ear, "For the rest of your life... all you'll be... is garbage."

Modha's guttural groan was an excellent response for him.

"ONE! TWO! THREE! FOUR! FIVE! SIX! SEVEN! EIGHT! NINE! TEN! WITH THREE WINS TO ONE LOSS TEAM URAMESHI ADVANCES TO THE SEMI FINALS!"

The crowd exploded with cheers, but Yusuke did not care. Taking off from the blood dried arena, he bolted for the opposite side of the lawn where bloody footprints lead the way to Hiei's certain grave.

"Where is he?" Yusuke asked, peeling into the hallway to find Kurama, Genkai, Kuwabara, Yukina, Keiko, and Shizuru staring back at him.

"Inside." Kurama explained. "Don't go in-" He added as Yusuke bolted for the door.

"Why not?" Yusuke demanded. But just then, a gut wrenching blood curdling scream filled the air. Yusuke blanched, cold sweat dripping down the back of his neck.

"...Holy shit." He whimpered.

"Sit down before you fall down." Kurama pulled out a silver flask from inside his light pink mens kimono, taking a quick shot, "I know I did."

_**(Scene Break) **_

Meanwhile inside the locker room, Hina was practically laying on top of Hiei to keep him from wrenching up and causing more harm to his jagan. Blinking back terrified tears as her son screamed and thrashed in pain, she tried to consol him as best she could. She was not the only one, with a hard arm around Hiei's chin to keep his head from jerking, Shigure kept a continuos string of praise and confidence as he worked, drilling into the dead center of the smoking jagan with a tool that looked like an enormous drill.

"It's just you and me, Hiei!" Shigure chanted, "Are you ready?" Hiei thrashed and moaned, his eyes screwed shut as he cursed and bucked, "Only a few more and then we'll be all done." Shigure charged the drill. Hiei bucked even harder in pain.

"AH!" Hiei cried out, his hands clenched on the sides of the operating table, "AHH!"

"Shh, shh..." Hina soothed, petting his face as she held his spiky black hair away from the open wound, "Be brave. Be very brave." She whispered.

"SHUTTUP WOMAN!" Hiei shrieked like a banshee, "I'VE BEEN BRAVE- _AHHH!" _Shigure was back to work, drilling and carving as if Hiei's head were a pumpkin.

"Don't order the person in blinding pain." Shigure advised. "Here we go." He told Hiei, changing tools. Instead of the drill he pulled out a syringe full of a bright green sinister liquid that raised the hairs on the back of Hina's neck. Whatever was in that syringe boded extreme calamity for her son. "On the count of three, I want you to exhale thru the pain." Shigure paused, inserting the needle but refraining from pushing the leve. "Take a deep breathe in..." Hiei did as he was told, and Hina noticed that a great tremble ran thru his body. He was breaking out into a cold sweat. It was as if Hiei were going into shock.

_Of course... _Hina thought. _He knows what's coming. _

"One... two... three."

"GODDAMNIT JUST LET ME DIE!" Hiei screamed, thrashing furiously as Shigure pushed the leve and the liquid injected itself into the jagan's destroyed iris. It was like fire in his veins, like blazing liquid heat melting his brain and destroying his nerves! He could not escape! To breath caused pain, to twitch caused pain, to _exist _caused pain, and every inch of his body screamed, begged, beseeched for death. Surely death would be nothing compared to this.

Outside in the hallway, the entire team sat listening to his screams. Yusuke couldn't help but want to cover his ears, and did not blame Kuwabara when he leant over and gently placed his large hands over Yukina's petite lily white earlobes.

"Don't listen baby." Kuwabara shivered as his psych awareness jolted with each of Hiei's screams, "Don't listen."

"It's awful..." Yukina whispered, tears glistening in her eyes.

On the other side of the door, it was a battle of wills, with Hiei vs. Hina and Shigure.

"Just one last one!" Shigure held Hiei as tight as he could while he prepared another syringe of jet black acid, "Just one last one!"

"I can't-!" Hiei screamed out, thrashing wildly, his face contorted with bone crushing pain.

"You can!" Hina tried to cheer him on, "You can! Just one last one and then you're done." She petted him and soothed him, laying across his legs to keep him from flailing about. But Hiei's body was loosing willpower and strength as all the fight went out of him in a rush. He lay, comatose, shivering and sweating profusely. His eyes locked onto his mother's, unwilling to look up and see what Shigure was about to do. After this final syringe, the battle to save him would be over... but the next battle was only beginning. The battle of recovery.

"I can't do it." Hiei whispered, almost pleading. It broke Hina's heart, "I can't... God just kill me now... I fucking give up." He looked up at Shigure, his face screwed up in agony, "Kill me now."

"Hiei." Shigure tisked, shaking his head as he prepared another syringe full of a clear liquid, "Remember when you first came to me and you told me you wanted that Jagan. Remember how you put your sword thru your hand just to prove your point? Be brave for me again..."

"Fuck you.." Hiei whispered, closing his ruby red eyes to block out the sights of the torment he was about to endure one last time, "I've always been brave. Always. I just can't go thru this again. I got the jagan for her. I found her. Fuck it." Hiei shivered ominously, "If it's broken, it's broken."

"I'm sorry Hiei..." Shigure picked up the black syringe, slowly sliding it into the center of the jagan whose iris was now bright green instead of it's usual light violet, "But if I don't correct this, it will kill you."

"I deserve to die." Hiei begged. "We fought.. one another... we should have died by one another."

Shigure nodded to himself, as he poised his hand over the evil syringe's leve.

"...I got the jagan..." Hiei cracked open his eyes, locking onto his mother's once more, "I got the jagan for you."

Hina blanched, overcome with pride, guilt, and sympathy for her only son.

Shigure met Hina's eyes. Without another word, he quickly closed the leve of the syringe.

"AHHH!" Hiei burst out into fresh screams. Without warning, a strangle rippling shock occurred with Hiei's jagan in the center, like an invisible earthquake that rattled the window panes of the locker room and made the door knob rattle. hiei's mind was born on the wind, all of it's confusion, anger, guilt, and pride flying about in a whirlwind of sound, color, and feeling. It was overkill. It was terrifying. On the other side of the door, everyone held onto each other as the whirlwind passed thru them, giving each one of them a nausea sensation before it finally left them weak and dry.

"AHH! _AHHH!" _Hiei thrashed as the black liquid slowly, ever so slowly, oozed it's way into the jagan's newly made pupil, "_**AHHH! YUKINAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" **_

Yukina couldn't stand it. Upon hearing her name, screamed out in such agony and terror, she stood up, running to the door of the locker room, pulling at the knob in vain. "Let me in!" she screamed out, begging, "Let me in!"

Kuwabara was not far behind, wrenching her petite hands from the doorknob and holding her tight.

"Let me in..." She sobbed, hirosekes falling from her eyelashes and onto the floor as she burst into a wave of tears. "...Ni-san...!"

_**(Scene Break) **_

For a few minutes, there was silence. Hiei lay shivering, his eyes blank of all emotion as Shigure quickly withdrew the final syringe and glossed the entire eye with the final salve. It was as if Hiei were but a corpse, with his soul elsewhere, and Hina pressed her ear to his chest, terrified that she would not hear a heartbeat. But she did, however faint it might be, and she thanked god for that.

"My bravest patient..." Shigure whispered, a consoling doctor as he quickly packed away his tools and washed his hands fervently in the sterilized basin by the door. Wiping his hands on a spare hand towel, he swaddled Hiei's forehead like a mother would a babe, wrapping Hiei's healed jagan up tight even as the white cloth slowly blood with dark red blood. "Come." Shigure murmured, gently lifting Hiei up from the operating table with Hina's help, Together, the pair of them hoisted Hiei to his feet as his head lolled on his neck like a limp rag doll. It was painful to watch, and Hina blinked back tears as Hiei let out a minute whimper in pain.

"Get him on his other side." Shigure commanded, and Hina gently took Hiei's right arm, draping it slowly over her shoulder as Shigure did the same on the left. Together, the pair of them made their way to the door, which Hina opened with nimble hands and kicked out with her foot.

The entire team was waiting outside in the hallway, wide eyed and frightened as the patient emerged.

"Hiei!" Yusuke yelped, shocked at the state of his formidable ally. For the first time in living memory, it was Hiei who was mortally wounded, not Kurama nor Yusuke. It was a frightening sight. One Yusuke never thought he would witness.

"Shh!" Shigure hissed. Cowed, Yusuke fell silent at once. The team gathered round, fretful. "We need to get him somewhere quiet." Shigure whispered, "Somewhere he can rest. Show me to you quarters."

"This way." Kurama murmured, leading the entire group. They walked all the way up thru the hotel tunnels, avoiding the eyes of excited demons, and booing spectators. As they walked to the hotel, Hiei nearly tripped once or twice. By the time that they made it to the lobby, Hiei was all but being dragged, and finally Shigure gave up, picking Hiei up in a gentle swing so that he carried his patient.

When they finally made it back to the hotel room, Shigure was lead to the boys common room where the couch beckoned. He laid Hiei down as slowly as he could, taking care not to touch the dark wound on Hiei's forehead. Pale, greying, and sweating, Hiei shivered ominously with his eyes closed, a look of intense pain and distress marring his normally obsolete features.

"Block out the windows." Shigure instructed, "Absolutely no light."

Kurama and Kuwabara shut the curtains to the windows at once while Yusuke and Genkai stowed the small fire in it's grate, shutting it off so that they were plunged into a strange clammy gloom.

Sniffing back tears, Hina dropped to her knees, helping Shigure to pull off Hiei's bloodied boots one at a time. It was slow work, as they attempted to keep him from being shifted too much, but it had to be done. His pants all but melted off of him, shredded to a state of unbelievable distortion after the battle with that bitch Bieli. What Hina wouldn't give for a loaded gun and five seconds alone with that whore. She'd show her the time of her life!

It was strange to see her sons body so bare before her. She recalled with ease how plump and sweet he'd been as a baby. She and Rui had cooed and laughed hysterically at how different he was in certain aspects than the baby girls they were used to handling. But Hiei, the infant, had just given them a gummy toothless smile and gurgled excitedly. Now that he was a grown man, Hiei was a much different story. Where plump and sweet had once been, muscle and man had now taken over. His powerful thigh muscles quivered from the exhausting battle and the painful operation. His washboard abs flexed, his pectorals were dotted with sweat. His arms were like snakes, wrapped in thick muscle that spoke of endless grueling hours in training... wild battles in blackest of nights.

Hina could not keep from staring at Hiei's feet, sex, and hands. There was nothing perverted about her curiosity. It was motherly and maternal. How strange, she thought, to see how his feet had grown. When he'd been only hours old, his tiny pink feet had been so small they barely extended past two fingers. Now his feet here elongated, with small toes, callouses, and bruises. His hands were just the same. She kissed the palm of his right hand, gently brushing her lips across the tips of his thumb and pointer finger. When he'd been a newborn, he'd clutched at her pinky finger, nearly unable to wrap his stubby little fists around her smallest digit. He'd wailed for attention, jerking on her with all his might as if to say _'Mommy, mommy, mommy!'. _...But she'd never heard those words cross his lips. Instead, the few words that even involved the noun 'mother' had often come out from anger, confusion, or irritation... it broke her heart.

As for the apex of his thighs, well, what could she say? When he'd been hours old, it had been adorable, and the source of much hilarity amongst Yukiei's teammates, all of whom had declared that Hiei was 'all boy'. What was it that Yukiei had said? Ah yes...

"_Two eyes, two ears, mouth, nose, ten fingers, ten toes, two balls!" _

He'd been utterly delighted to have a son. He'd held Hiei up, naked, high into the air for his teammates to applaud at and admire.

"_I HAVE A SON!"_ He'd shrieked aloud, causing Hiei to start wailing again. But Yukiei had just pressed Hiei tight to his chest, kissing him all over and peppering him with love.

Now that Hiei was a man, the junction of his thighs held a whole knew meaning, one that Hina was unsure she was ready to discuss. She was no fool. She was certain that Hiei had made love to a woman before. A thousand questions exploded in her mind as she gently draped a blanket over Hiei's naked form, giving him some decency.

Who had his first time been with? How old had he been? Who had taught him about sex? What had they said? How had that shaped him as a man? Did he have any children? Children.. _God... _Hina shivered. Children would make her a grandmother.

That thought in and of itself was enough to make her loose her stomach.

"Hiei..." Hina whispered in her sons ear, "Can you hear me sweetie? ... It's mother..."

"...Mum..." Hiei shifted, sweat pouring down his face as his features were contorted with pain, "I... I was always... in a box, mum... I was... always trapped in a box."

He was talking nonsense. Hina understood.

"Shh..." Hina petted his brow, wiping the sweat away from the dark wound. Hiei's eyes cracked open, and Hina was shocked to see how full of sorrow they were.

"There's this...darkness..." Hiei bleated, like a baby sheep unable to defend itself, "Right here... in my brain.. and it won't go away... and... and I wish it would." Hiei gritted his teeth tight in a new wave of pain, "I wish it would."

"We all face that darkness." Shigure acknowledged. Soaking some fresh gauze in a cooling antidote, Shigure applied them with loving and tender care. The team relaxed, however fitful, either trailing off into bedrooms or sitting down at the table, unable to fully comprehend what had happened that day.

For the first time since Yusuke Urameshi, Hiei had lost a battle.

Yukina sat at her elder brother's feet, looking upon him with fear and admiration as her mother helped Shigure wrap him in antidote.

"... You remember that poem I made you when you told me your tale?" Shigure spoke up, grinning. In Hiei's strange state, Hiei managed a tiny smile of his own that flickered back into a frown almost at once, "Remember it? I wrote it for you to get you to sleep."

"...Tell it... to me... again..." Hiei whispered, groping blindly for Shigure's hands. Shigure unlaced their fingers, laying Hiei's bloody and bruised hands back to his sides.

"Oh boy..." Shigure sighed, looking pensive and thoughtful. Hina waited expectantly, curious as to see what the poem held. "Let's see if I still remember it."

After a moment of silence as Shigure finished his wrapping, he sat with his back to the edge of the couch where Hiei lay, shivering and cold. Taking in a deep breath, the surgeon detached his enormous mask, laying it to the side as he rubbed his piercing holes and thought to himself.

"Dawn coming in though the grayness

Lights up the place where he lies;

I am sodden with sleep, but I waken

At my starveling's fretful cries.

He is here on the floor beside me.

Wrapped in rags that stink.

I change them; I hold him to feed him

and sob as he struggles to drink.

Three days I have now been a woman

with a mother's heart in my breast

I doze but an hour till he whimpers

And I spring to soothe him to rest.

Thin little dirty baby

wailing with pain all the while

but I taste the bliss that no life should miss

when I look into his eyes and smile.

Ah, he is ill, little Hiei...

Life has abused him so;

Safe from the fiend who had meant to kill,

Jagan has now laid him low.

Through the night I labored to save him.

We two were all alone

sharp in the fearful stillness

My surgeons clock struck one.

The walls went creaking, creaking...

blackened timbers groaned

In this house by murder haunted

the low-hung ceilings moaned.

Boards in the floor beneath us

which have sucked in blood warm and bright

held their breath and shrieked of death

into the ghostly night...

Why is the world so cruel?

Seen with Hiei's eyes.

The earth, and all things in it,

Is a mountain-pile of ice.

Then do you pity Hiei?

I need your pity too.

I must help; I must help; But am helpless.

Oh to be taught what to do. ...Damn... I think I'm forgetting..."

Shigure paused, shifting. Hina and Yukina were enraptured with his poetry, and Hina hastily brushed tears from her eyes. Though Shigure did not know it, he'd captivated the entire room. Yusuke, Kurama, Keiko, and Genkai all stared from the table, waiting with their mouths ajar. Kuwabara and Shizuru, from the shadow of the doorway, looked on apprehensively.

It was beautiful.

"...Men are... Consoled...by..." Hiei tried to speak, but Shigure shushed him.

"That's right." Shigure chuckled. "Thank you."

"Men are consoled by their women

But this scrap in my tired arm lies

A shriveled doll from the junk heap

and the strong man who holds him cries.

Why are you quiet, Hiei?

Why are you eyes shut, why?

Wait, oh wait, little sick one.

It is too soon to die.

Think of my struggle to save you,

Will you not stay with me?

Listen; Death shall not take you.

I have no burial fee." At this, Shigure laughed bitterly.

For a moment, there was silence, then Shigure continued on:

"Cry again, little Hiei

Cry once more, once more.

What will it take to make you wake,

For I cannot let you go.

I call; but you do not hear me

I clasp you; you do not move

It is not to pain I would bring you again

There is love in the world too.

Will he not cry? I will make him.

Here in my close embrace

I kiss his wane lips growing grayer

my drawn face touches his face

Fast are my frightened tears flowing

Falling on Hiei's eyes

With his cold, still tears they are mingled-"

"Oh god... at last... I cry..."

Hina was in shock. Like a shooting star that only came once in a thousand years, Hiei's face, so screwed up in misery, suddenly gave birth to something much more rare. Something much more sorrowful. And... Like rain from hell, like fire from heaven, like a drop of the galaxy, so silent so still, a single tear drop fell from the corner of Hiei's eye; his pupils so round and dilated they completely blocked out the red of his iris. There was a tiny _clink _as the tear solidified mid fall and fell to the floor... the living proof of goodness in the heart of every man.

The black bomb.

_**(Scene End) **_

_**Well guys, we're a third of a way done with the story. I hope you've enjoyed it so far. It's been a real pleasure writing for such nice fans that leave kind reviews, and let me know how they feel about the story. Shigure and Hiei, to me, have a very special relationship. Shigure's poem is not my original work. It's an authentic Japanese poem entitled "When Tears Are Mingled" by an amazing poet named 'Kagawa'. It comes from his poetry book, "Songs from the Slums". **_

"_**When Tears Are Mingled" Isn't just another random poem to me. To me, it's the only story that can explain Hiei's full infancy, his struggle to accept emotion as a baby. There are a lot of fans that would like to believe that Hiei could never, will never cry. That he is devoid of all emotion. But here's what they are forgetting. Fire is not hatred. Fire is passion. Fire is emotion. Hiei is possibly the most emotional of the entire group, he just doesn't show it for obvious reasons. Now, Hiei would never cry for someone such as Tarukane if he was ever tortured. But when it comes to people he loves and cares for deeply, Hiei is just as prone to crying as any grown man (it's rare, but grown men do cry I assure you). **_

_**Let me make this clear. This is the only time in this story at Hiei will cry. **_

_**Please Review.**_

_***In final gesture, a reviewer asked me if I would consider finishing Emiko. I will do it, I promise. I will finish this story first, however. :) **_


	15. Eye on the Prize

_**Well, now that we're one third completed, guess what happens next? :D Lotsa family dysfunctional insanity. You think this is a happy perfect picture? Noooo. I'm afraid not. So begins the 2/3rd of the story. The gooey stuff. The chunky-munky of the sandwich. The stuff all the fans want to see. Just to keep perks up, I will reveal that by the end of the 2/3rd of this story, Yukiei and Hina will be reunited. Happy reading! :D **_

_**(Scene Break) **_

Shigure sat, tall and daunting, playing cards by himself. Hina nursed a glass of sake in the kitchen, rubbing her eyes tiredly. It had been a long and frightening day.

Kuwabara and Yukina sat on the floor beside the couch where Hiei slumbered fitfully. The pair of them played with Buson back and forth, allowing the pup to scramble and crawl over their laps as they rubbed his belly and cooed at him. Shizuru smoked a cigarette, jiggling her leg nervously as she looked from Hiei to the clock on the wall which read '2:45 a.m.'. Yusuke and Keiko were snoozing, cuddled up together in an enormous chair by the low lit fire... and as for Kurama, he stared into the grate, leaning heavily against the fireplace, his scarlet hair looking a dark plum in the lack of light.

"So let me get this straight. This Tarukane fellow, the same one that kidnapped you" Shigure pointed to Yukina,"has returned from the dead somehow, and has decided he wants to kidnap Hiei for the same reasons. In order to get Hiei to his beck and call, he goes and steals the soul of your father, using it as ransom... Is this correct?"

"Yes sir." Yukina nodded.

"Don't call me sir, I'm not that old. Tarukane is a fucking idiot. Hiei won't cry." Shigure snorted. Silently, Hina felt in her pocket where the black bomb sat, untouched. She rubbed her fingers over it, shocked at it's warmth. Should she tell the others?

"Yeah, that's what we thought to... So you're the one who put in his eye?" Yusuke yawned, cracking open a brown eye.

"Twice now, and yes." Shigure grinned at the spirit detective.

"Where do you learn to do that?" Yusuke asked sleepily.

"Oh, I practiced on prisoners for a while till I got good. Then I started charging. I've preformed the operation thousands of times. Only five people have ever successfully managed to survive and recover. Hiei was the third. Surprised me as much as it surprised him..." Shigure shrugged with a broad smile.

"Why is it so difficult to survive and recover?" Yusuke asked.

"The jagan, as it's being implanted, eats at your brain, your subconscious. It drives you insane with the excruciating pain, and most of the time you loose your grip on your sanity. The torment of putting in a jagan usually kills most people. I've had patients tear out their own eyes trying to make the pain stop. I put straps on the operating table. Every patient screams, the only difference is what they say." Shigure explained, grimacing a little as he remembered each of his patients last words.

"...What did Hiei say..." Yukina whispered. Shigure looked at her, a little uncertain. He was no fool. He knew damn well who the child was... The question lay now with him on how much he chose to reveal.

"He cried out the name of the person for whom he was installing the jagan to find." Shigure answered vaguely. "Then he blacked out."

"He was trying to find someone?" Yukina asked, confused. Shigure pondered how best to answer that one. As a doctor, he could always claim 'patient doctor confidentiality'... Then again, who would believe that after all they'd seen today? Shigure could tell they were like family.

"Oh yes." Shigure set his cards down, standing up and stretching a little, moving to stand over Hiei, "Trying to find two things as a matter of fact... He found both of them, I believe." He smiled at Yukina. Yes... Hiei had found his sister.

"But why not just search without the jagan? Why go thru all that pain?" Yukina asked.

"Because when you love someone with all your heart, pain doesn't matter." Shigure smiled. "Hiei didn't care about the pain. He didn't care about the fear, or the statistics... All he cared about was his family." Yukina smiled back. She settled into the couch, rubbing Hiei's hand tenderly. Hiei, oblivious to the affection, merely made a strange noise under his breath as he slept soundly, saying something that sounded like the phrase '_sfeelsnice'. _

"You didn't do it out of charity I believe."

Shigure looked up at Kurama, still hunched over the fireplace like a fierce gargoyle, his green eyes flashing in warning. Shigure remembered with ease how he and Kurama had fought the last time in the demon tournament. How Kurama had beaten him. How he'd leapt from the tower.

Damn Mukuro, and her regenerative tanks.

"You are correct, Kurama. My price was not one of monetary value. I told Hiei that I would operate on the one condition... that once he found the person for whom he was searching, he could never reveal his relationship to them. He could watch, but he could never touch." Shigure nodded.

"..But why would you do something that mean?" Yukina's red eyes were round in shock.

"Because you can't get something for nothing. And Hiei didn't want to tell her in the first place. He thought she would be ashamed, afraid... so he gladly agreed. When we met again in Mukuro's dungeon, I told him that if he defeated me I'd lift the price and he could tell the person he loved who he was. He told me that he had no intention of doing so. That he'd _never_ had the intention of doing so." Shigure added, warningly. "He believes, deep down, that the person is better off without him."

"Who was this person?" Yukina asked.

_Ah. _She'd caught him in a corner.

Shigure stared from Kurama, to Yusuke, to Kuwabara, all of whom were waiting. They knew the truth... but did she? There was only one way to find out. Steeling himself for the consequences of his actions, Shigure continued on.

"...You."

"I knew it."

"You are Yukina, are you not?" Shigure added, just to make sure he had the right girl.

"Yes." Yukina nodded firmly, a stony look of discontentment in her eyes.

"He was searching for you. And hey, looks like he found you. Thank me later." Shigure waved her off, but Yukina's expression had gone from warm and loving to cold and angry. Shigure blanched, slightly unnerved by the look the little girl was giving him.

"Lift the price." She growled.

"I did, child. There is no price over his head, he defeated me and I lifted the bargain. But he has to overcome his own barriers before he can tell you all that you need to know."

"But I already know!" Yukina cried out.

"You know?" Hina gagged on her sake in the kitchen.

"Yes I know!" Yukina added bitterly. "No thanks to any of you!"

"How?" Kuwabara cried out.

"I overhead Hiei and Shizuru talking one night. The same night that I found out that Tarukane was alive. I've known since then." Yukina shook her head, disappointed in the ones she loved.

"... So everyone knows. Christ. It feel like a weights been lifted off my chest." Yusuke gapped, relaxing back so that Keiko, sleepy and content, snuggled up tight to him.

"Yukina, you must understand that it was Hiei's wish for you not to know. I feel he will be very upset if he knows you've found out." Kurama added, warningly.

"I can deal with my brother, Kurama." Yukina snapped, upset.

"I never said you couldn't, Yukina. Just remember that there are reasons he didn't want you to know."

But she'd heard this story all before. The self hatred was evident in her brother, and it made Yukina want to throw a tantrum. Instead, she asked more questions.

"... What else was he searching for." Yukina asked.

"A double package. His homeland, and his birthstone which was taken from him."

"WHAT?"

"Shh!" Shigure hissed angrily. In the kitchen, Hina was on her feet, slightly drunk and fully upset.

"Someone took his stone?" She came around the corner, nearly tripping over the leg of a chair as she ran right up to Shigure and grabbed him by the front of his armor, shaking him. "Who?"

"The hell if I know, he's the one who went searching. He found his homeland... and your grave." Shigure pried Hina's fingers off. At the last chunk of news, Hina's rage fell to be replaced by sorrow.

"...He..." Hina frowned, "He went to my grave?"

"Well, he didn't know you were dead." Shigure added, slightly distasteful.

"...Oh my..." Hina slowly sat on the head of the couch, looking down at her son who slept fitfully.

"He met Rui from what I understand. She begged him to kill her. To kill them all. But he just walked away... and started searching for Yukina. He realized quickly that she wasn't in the demon world. So he went to human world, and he found out that she was imprisoned, though he didn't know where. He knew he would need backup.. and ammo.." Shigure explained, putting a comforting hand on Hina's shoulder.

"... He got the shadow sword for... Yukina?" Yusuke spoke up, surprised.

"I believe so." Shigure nodded.

"You are correct. His reasons behind it being that with the shadow sword he could cut thru barriers, and reach his sister." Kurama nodded.

"Holy shit." Yusuke looked horrified, as if he'd done something awful.

"But you stopped him, from what I understand. And he went to jail, and he got out, and he was part of your team... And then the tape."

"And then the tape." Yusuke whispered, remembering the day well.

"The minute he found out where she was, he was off like a gunshot. He would have killed Tarukane if Yukina hadn't stopped him. Remember what you said?" Shigure asked, pointing at Yukina.

"... I said he seemed familiar." Yukina spoke up.

"That's right. And remember what he said?"

"Just a member of the team." Yukina whispered, closing her ruby red eyes.

"There you go."

"This whole time, he was searching for me."

"And he found you." Shigure smiled. "The wards on your window were blocking his jagan. I believe he was going to use the shadow sword to cut them."

"And I took it from him." Yusuke groaned.

"Don't beat yourself up." Kurama shook his head, "You were doing your job. Besides, that artifact was much too powerful for Hiei. It turned him malicious."

"Then where is his stone?" Hina demanded.

"Mukuro." Shigure explained.

"SHE'S GOT IT?" Hina shrieked.

"Shh!" Shigure leapt forward and clamped a firm hand over Hina's mouth, "Stop shouting! Every time you shout, you hinder his healing!" Shigure hissed, "And yes, she found it. It saved her from becoming a monster. It's goodness, it's gentility, all of it was used to keep her from loosing her sanity... She and Hiei are a match made in... hell, I guess. When they met, I knew they were destined to love each other. How could they not. Mukuro and Hiei two pieces of a broken puzzle, their jagged edges sliding together perfectly. When Hiei saw the stone again, he said that he hadn't earned to keep it. That the only thing he deserved in life was death and he gladly welcomed it. Mukuro healed him after our battle, and she gave him the stone... but he gave it back to her. I think he likes her having it. I think it's goodness, and her goodness... give him _his _goodness. Do you understand?" He slowly lowered his hand from Hina's mouth.

"You said that you lost the fight? but that Hiei... died?" Hina whispered.

"We both died. She regenerated us in her embryo tanks. We killed each other. He cut my head off. see the scar? But I cut off his arm, and I got his stomach. See?" Shigure explained. Walking around the sofa, he gently lifted the blanket that covered Hiei to show a scar that ran from one hip to the other, white and thick. "That's where my ring sword nearly sliced him in half."

"It certainly beats skinning your knee." Yusuke griped.

"... I've heard many things about Mukuro, but I've never met her." Hina thought aloud. In truth, she wasn't very happy that Mukuro had her son's birthstone. That stone was shed by her for _him. _Not some passing girlfriend.

"You never will. Mukuro is silent. Deadly. Like the wind in the trees that howl at night. You can never fully predict her. You cannot understand her methods, nor relate to her madness. The only person who can do that is Hiei... that is the way it will stay. I was part of Mukuro's elite guard. Hiei defeated me and joined our ranks. We've worked together for years... he and I have a special relationship. Almost one of father and son. I've very proud of my number three." Shigure explained

"What do you mean?" Hina asked, intrigued. From the moment she'd met this man, Shigure had proven to her time and time again that he cared for Hiei. It was a pleasant shock to meet someone who didn't think Hiei an animal.

"Every other patient used the jagan to destroy. To kill. To conquer. Hiei used it to find his sister, his home, and his heart. Not once did he used it for evil. What more pride can I be given?" Shigure ruffled Hiei's hair affectionately. Hiei grimaced.

"...Don't...Touch...Me.."

"Still a pain in the ass? Let's see how that jagan is doing." Shigure pulled a box of white surgical soap from his travel bag, washing his hands thoroughly in the kitchen. He pulled on a pair of latex gloves, testing them by snapping them at their edges. "Stand back." He warned the onlooking crowd. Yukina and Kuwabara moved away from the couch as Shigure bent over Hiei. "I warn you, this is going to hurt."

"...Shuttup..." Hiei whispered.

"Ever the stubborn one." Shigure chuckled, gently unwrapping the jagan from it's soaked bandages. Lifting the final bloody gauze away, the jagan was shown. Angry, swollen, red, it's iris was now a hot green instead of a calm purple. Hina shivered as the jagan looked at her, it's iris flexing. "Ah... Look at that." Shigure grinned.

"It's looking at us." Hina whispered.

"It sees all, knows all. It _is _all. It is a jagan. The ultimate tool for telekinesis, and psychic energy." Shigure boasted proudly. Stooping over, he pulled out a rod with a u shaped prong at the end. "He's going to scream." He explained, "So you lot best get ready."

Hina grimaced, as did Hiei.

"Fuck...you..." Hiei whispered, his crimson eyes fluttering open every now and then.

"Fuck you too, number three." Shigure smiled gently. With the utmost care and practiced skill, he gently prodded the edges of the jagan, causing Hiei to bite back a scream. He went completely white in the face, and gripped the edges of the couch, shaking. "Breath Hiei." Shigure warned. At his request, Hiei breathed heavily thru the nose, biting his lips to keep from shouting.

"You're still healing." Shigure nodded. "It's in stage two. It'll take a couple of days before the swelling goes down and you can go back to using it normally." Wiping the prong with a sterile cloth, Shigure set it down to pull out a small flashlight. Using it to set the iris' flexibility, he nodded in contentment as the pupil dilated appropriately, "At least it's contracting appropriately, but does it respond to commands. Hiei, if you can, tell the Jagan to search for something. Something easy, like the lampshade."

Hiei shivered, scrunching his eyes up tight. He searched, desperately and blindly, trying to find a way to will his healed jagan to work. But the jagan was destined to find, to search. That was it's whole purpose, to root thru the dirt and to find the treasure beneath. It was only natural that the jagan shift, and find Yukina's face. It filled with a fluorescent blue light.

"Perfect." Shigure complimented, "I'll you fresh bandages and let you sleep some more." As Shigure spoke, he and Hina gently wrapped Hiei's wound in fresh gauze, applying a light soothing salve as they did so. "Have you been hearing what we're talking about?"

"...No..." Hiei whispered.

"Don't lie to me, Hiei." Shigure warned.

"Fuck...off..." Hiei cursed.

"You do understand that Yukina knows." Shigure added. To this, Hiei said nothing. "Go on ahead and act innocent. It'll serve you no purpose." With a final flick of the wrist, their gauze was finished. Shigure surveyed his work with pride before pulling off his gloves and throwing them in the trash, "Well, I'm off."

"Off?" Hina demanded.

"I must return to my post." Shigure assured her. "Lady Mukuro will want to know what's happened to Hiei."

"Will she come here?" Hina asked warily as Shigure repacked his bag and made his way to the door.

"I doubt it." Shigure chuckled, "She's not the kind to make a public appearance. Trust me, you'd know if she showed up."

"What do you mean?" Hina demanded, slightly fearful.

"Screaming, running, chaos, people terrified for their lives. Mukuro makes that kind of scandal. She is, after all, leader of a third of demon world." Shigure said this all nonchalantly, as if he were talking about the weather and not a murderess. He paused in the doorway, looking back at Yukina.

"Fervent the vow he swore to fight, nor falter;

Fight with a faith not flickering, nor dim;

Yukina his sister; His heart her alter

Glowing with sacrifice he offers in sin." Shigure smiled at the small stanza. "Adue, Yukina. May god bless and protect your family."

And with that, he was gone.

_**(Scene Break) **_

"He survived?"

The only light in the room came from the tiny ember of the cigarette between her lips. Shigure bent before his lady, feeling like a child before his mother after being disobedient. She shifted in her oversized chair, long legs crossed upon her desktop. She sneered.

"Yes. He will need to heal, but he will recover in time. He may need your help. The semi finals are in three days. If he can't fully recover by then, then how can he compete." Shigure explained.

"Mm." Mukuro tried to fein arrogance, but Shigure could see straight thru her facade. In all honesty, he pitied Mukuro at times. Not that he'd ever tell her that. "His mother... Is she there?"

"Yes."

"What is she like?"

"Demanding, scrutinizing, curious. Like yourself. She's protective of her children." Shigure summed Hina up as best he could. Mukuro rolled her one good eye.

"Naturally." She scoffed, "He doesn't need me."

"Lady Mukuro." Shigure searched for the right words, "Go to him. He needs you more than you know."

"Shigure..." Mukuro growled, her teeth on edge, " Are you telling me what to do."

"No Ma'am!" Shigure pressed his nose to the ground for good measure, "I'm insisting you do something. No one could ever tell you what to do."

"Well then." Mukuro snarled, "I insist you leave before I rip out your spleen. You think i just use those tanks for good will!" She shouted at Shigure's retreating back.

"There is a man who is going to attempt to kidnap Hiei and torture him for hirosekes. I just thought you ought to know!" Shigure added in at last minute. Aggravated, Mukuro took a paper weight off of her desk and threw it at him. It hit him in the left temple.

"GET OUT!" She demanded. He did so at once, not even closing the door behind him.

Mukuro sat in silence, brooding.

Damn that man. Damn Shigure too. Damn Hiei for thinking he could take on everything and everyone. Hadn't he learned already what became of men who thought they were immortal? Who thought they could take on everything? The nerve of him! Mukuro gritted her teeth till her back molars started to buckle. Perhaps this had been his little plan all along, to get her to come to his aid. Typical Hiei, say nothing but promise to reveal all in time... reveal all her _ass. _She was still trying to work out why it was that he lingered in human world all the time. He came back reeking of human trash. Now he wanted her to do the same?

He assumed she'd loose her reasons, and she did. He was stupid, vain, disgusting, and just a little bit insane... this love was a humiliating business. Ah well, she sighed. She'd cast him off, but first she'd cast off herself. It couldn't be done. She loved him, she hated him. She wanted someone to shoot him.

Oh wait, someone just did.

She rolled her eyes, wrenching open the top drawer of her enormous desk. pulling out her eye patch, she hooked it into her ear, tying her bandana tight to her forehead to keep it all steady. Snatching her traveling cloak from it's hook on the wall she wrapped it tight around her shoulder, locking her office door for emphasis. In her irritation, she kicked the window to outside world open. Climbing up on the ledge, she looked down on her kingdom. The bug would be fine without her. They'd never know she was gone.

Without another word, she flitted down.

_**(Scene Break) **_

In the boys common room, Hiei lay sprawled on the couch. He might have had a little bit more color in his cheeks but he was still too pale for her liking. It was pitch black outside, and inside... Hiei had eaten nothing all day.

"Here." Hina whispered, slowly helping her son to sit up as she perched herself on the coffee table. In her hands was a bowl full of beef broth. It wasn't much but it was something. She wasn't alone. Yukina was at her feet, slowly mending Hiei's Jagan ward with a fine needle and thread.

The little family sat in quiet as the fire crackled timidly in it's heated grate. "You need to eat something."

"You've got a bit more color in your cheeks. You eat and I'll give you some energy." Hina helped him to cup the bowl in his hands as she gently pressed her hands to his forehead where his jagan still healed. Boosting all her power, she gently mended the deep wound with her ki, taking her time as Hiei sipped the broth.

"...Ni-san." Yukina whispered.

Hiei closed his eyes. Yes, he'd been a filthy little liar all his life, he knew damn well that she knew. Weary he might be, foolish he was not, and while his recovery had been patchy the first few hours, he'd unfortunately been awake for the entire ceremony of Shigure laying his life out for others to read. The next time he saw the moron he was going to wring his neck. Who did he think he was? His _psychiatrist? _As if Hiei needed one. When Shigure had revealed to Yukina that Hiei had sought her out with his jagan, it had taken all of Hiei's will power not to set the whole room aflame with his rage. six centuries of hard work, all down the drain. _Thank you, Shigure. Thank you very fucking much you absolute son of a-_

"...Why won't you look at me?" Yukina whispered, hurt in her voice.

Hiei opened his eyes, avoiding Yukina's sorrowful gaze. "...Because I cannot."

"Why not?" Yukina begged, her voice full of longing.

"I just can't, Yukina." Hiei whispered, angry at himself.

"... It's okay." Yukina sighed. "I can wait."

"Such a good girl." Hina smiled at her daughter, "Now I can openly say how much I love my two children. Look at the pair of you... so well mannered. So smart. I'm the luckiest mother alive. Don't worry. We'll win this tournament and then your father will be returned to us... then we'll be happy again."

For a moment the three of them sat in silence, Yukiei on their minds.

"...It won't be that easy." Hiei spoke up after a moment of deep contemplation.

"Eat." Hina directed. Hiei began to sip his broth.

"What is father like?" Yukina asked, smiling for what felt like the first time in a long time. How often had she dreamed of a scene like this? Her mother before her, her brother beside her. She wondered if she was indeed dreaming.

"Just like your brother." Hina laughed, patting Hiei's knee tenderly so that Hiei rolled his eyes. "A little taller, a little meaner- well..." Hina pursed her thin lips. It was easy for her to recall how Yukiei had shouted, cursed, kicked things over, "A lot meaner. But still just as dedicated to this family as your brother."

Yukina paused in her sewing, "... Will he love us?"

"Of course." Hina smiled, "When you two were born, he lifted both of you up and hardly put you down. He was so proud to have such a beautiful daughter." Hina touched her daughters cheek fondly, "And you should have seen the commotion he made about having a son. You'd have thought someone gave him a crown and made him king." She joked, smacking Hiei's knee lightly.

" I can't wait to see him." Yukina declared happily.

"... I can't wait either. But we must be patient, and pray for him every night." Hina instructed her children, sending up a silent prayer even as she spoke.

"Prayer." Hiei rolled his eyes, setting his broth down as he pulled his legs gingerly up to his chest, "It's for fool-"

Without warning, Hiei faltered. His eyes going wide, he jerked his head up.

_**...Darkness, darkness, darkness... hips that rolled like the sea, eyes that smoldered like a flame... Hair as wild as the sunset, eyes as mean as a ghost... he knew her well. Her smell. Her aura. Her ki. Her energy. He could feel it now. That smell of burnt flesh, dark cinnamon, and deep burgundy wine. **_

_**Mukuro. **_

Hina watched, agog, as Hiei jerked himself out of his seat.

"Hiei!" Hina cried out, confused, "Take it easy- _Where are you going!" _She and Yukina watched, utterly blown away as Hiei (so devoid of energy for the past forty eight hours) found the strength to not only stand but stumble his way out of the common room, wrenching the door open and slamming it shut behind him.

_**Darkness... darkness... somewhere high up. Somewhere where the wind blew free. The roof. She was on the roof. **_

"Hiei!" Hina cried out after her son.

"Ni-san!" Yukina added, fearful.

But Hiei payed neither of them heed as she reached the elevator, jamming the floor for the roof. The doors closed at once, and shot him straight up. Hina and Yukina were not too far away. As they ran out of the room, leaving the door ajar behind them they saw the cue floor for the elevator going slowly up.

"He's going to the roof!" Hina was shocked.

"Let's take the stairs!" Yukina cried out. Pushing the door open, they ran up the stairs together just as Hiei opened the elevator doors to the roof.

It was dark, pitch black. He could hardly see his way... but he could smell her. He could smell her ki so thickly that she could have been standing right next to him. The wind blew thru the rooftop, and Hiei heard a cloak fluttering. Was this Shigure's doing? Had Mukuro come to see him?

Just over the edge of the forest, the sun began to rise, a hot pink in the early morning hours. It tinged the roof, casting a dark shadow on a curvy silhouette.

Mukuro.

"...Hiei."

Hiei watched thru unbelieving eyes. Mukuro in human world? Here of all places? Could this be a dream? Was his jagan making up this vivid hallucination? But there was no way she couldn't be real. She stepped forward, the wind blowing thru her hair.

How he'd missed her. How he'd thought of her when the jagan had nearly destroyed him. How he'd remembered her touch... just the way she was touching him now. She reached out, clasping his chin in a tough hand.

"Fucker." She whispered, drawing him into a hug.

They embraced, Hiei throwing his arms tightly around her and holding her close, smiling into her shoulder. He heard a noise as the doors to the stairs were thrown open but he did not care. She was here. She was here with him. How could there be any unbreakable evil in the world with Mukuro by his side. Withdrawing from each other, they clasped hands. Mukuro smiled at him, just as warm and evil as he remembered. "... If you'd have died, I would have killed you."

"I shudder to think." Hiei laughed softly. Mukuro reached out, touching the bloody bandage of his healing jagan.

"Nice wound you have there." She murmured. "Not nearly as nice as the one I gave you in the stomach."

"Don't kid yourself. I hardly flinched." Hiei sneered.

"As I remember, you flew thru two concrete walls and ended up having to go to Kurama for help."

"As I remember, I decided to leave in abrupt haste, walls be damned. Kurama needed a sparring buddy."

"Liar."

"Whench."

"You like it."

"Hn."

Hina and Yukina stared on, both in shock. Hina knew who she was. It was obviously Mukuro, the way Hiei was holding her and staring into her eyes. She looked so much more menacing in real life than in the picture. Like a vulture, all marred and blackened. Hina drew back a little in slight disgust.

Was this truly the woman Hiei _loved? _Surely... Surely he could do _better. _

"I was so worried." Mukuro whispered, drawing Hiei close again. Her smell filled his nostrils, and he sucked it in, smiling dreamily when she could not see his expression. "Are you alright?"

"I am now." Hiei grinned to himself.

In his eyes, there simply was no _bad _day with Mukuro.

_**(Scene Break) **_

When Kurama woke up and made his way to the kitchen for coffee, he was surprised to find Hina sitting at the table, looking menacing. He was even more surprised to find Hiei sitting upright at the couch, laughing and talking with the greatest surprise of all, Mukuro.

Clearly, he'd missed something.

"What the fuck?" Yusuke demanded loudly, grinning from ear to ear as he drank a Red Bull. Kuwabara wiped his eyes, yawning loudly. As soon as he saw Mukuro, his mouth gaped.

"I'll be damned." Kurama smiled a little to himself. It seemed Shigure had gone thru with his word.

"Yusuke Urameshi..." Mukuro lounged on the couch, grinning like the cheshire cat, "We meet again."

"You old bitch!" Yusuke laughed, shaking her hand roughly, "How have you been?"

"I'm alive aren't I?" Mukuro drawled with a light grin, "Your territory is in chaos. I love it."

"Yeah, thought you would." Yusuke sat on the coffee table, sucking down the rest of his Red Bull before opening a fresh one and crushing the old one with his fist, "I go and check in on them every now and them but they really don't need me."

"Well." Mukuro snorted. "I control mine with an Iron fist." At the words she clenched her knuckles tight so that but a shot of her ki flared up. Without warning the crushed can at Yusuke's side melted into a puddle of silver tin. Hiei smirked.

"Why are you here?" Yusuke asked, intrigued.

"Why do you think." Mukuro sneered.

"I think you're here to bang your boyfriend." Yusuke sneered back. Mukuro scoffed.

"The only thing getting banged is your head into the wall." Mukuro snapped.

"Classy lady. Speaking of which have you met..." Yusuke's voice trailed off as he nodded his head to the kitchen table where Hina was scowling.

"His mother? Yes I have. She hasn't spoken three words to me and won't come out of the kitchen." Mukuro shrugged, unfazed.

"Yeah, that's the way mothers are. I'll go handle her." Yusuke sighed, standing up. Taking the flattened tin of the first crushed can he walked to the kitchen. Mukuro smirked after him.

"Lady Mukuro." Kurama bowed slightly, taking Yusuke's place at the table.

"Youko Kurama. How are you?" Mukuro bowed back.

"Alive and well." Kurama smiled, "Hiei," he added, "How do you feel?"

"I'm fine." Hiei grunted, rubbing the dried bandages on his forehead. Kuwabara clearly couldn't take any of the suspense. stumbling to the lazy boy recliner opposite of the couch, he sank into it with eyes wide.

"Wow, man." Kuwabara seemed to have lost his mouth filter, "I never thought I'd actually meet you! You're Hiei's girlfriend?"

Hiei's eye twitched. Kurama's smile fell. Kuwabara had _no idea _who Mukuro was. What kind of a reputation she had. This could only go from bad to worse unless someone stopped him quick.

"Girlfriend is such a strong word." Mukuro crackled her knuckles warningly. But Kuwabara still was in the dark.

"Then what are you?" he asked. Mukuro sneered.

"His boss." Her tone was getting dark. Hiei snorted at this.

"Dude!" He shrieked, grinning at Hiei, "You're screwing your boss?"

"_Kuwabara!" _Kurama hissed whipping around on the coffee table, and fixing Kuwabara with a green eyed glare. Kuwabara froze up.

"What?" He peeped.

"You have no idea who you're talking to. If I were you, I would refrain from being impolite. This woman can kill thousands with a single blow. She is the ruler of a third of demon world. Do not think she's a groupie." Kurama growled, soft and low.

"...Oh man." Kuwabara put a hand over his mouth. Mukuro raised her one good eyebrow.

"Mukuro."

The group around the couch looked around as Genkai entered the room, withdrawing from her private quarters. "Tell me, what brings you here?"

"Hiei." Mukuro answered shortly. "I came to see how he fared."

"Aren't you bored?" Genkai asked, taking a seat on the coffee table next to Kurama. Behind them, Kuwabara still had a hand on his mouth, as if he feared his tounge would escape and run away.

"Not nearly as bored as you. I hear a lot of people have been forfeiting matches against you." Mukuro grinned. Genkai nodded.

"I've only gotten to fight once. It was pathetic. I'm beginning to doubt my sanity... Did Shigure tell you about Hiei?" Genkai sighed, shaking her greying head.

"Of course."

"Did he tell you about Tarukane?"

"Yes he did." Mukuro's tone began to change.

"Don't start." Hiei warned, shooting her a dark look.

"Start what?" Mukuro asked innocently.

"_And it begins." _Hiei threw his hands up into the air, irritably.

"Honestly, I don't know what you're talking about. A man such as yourself can take out a pathetic human in seconds."

Genkai, Kurama, and Kuwabara watched. They'd never seen Mukuro or Hiei argue with one another. Up close it was bizarre to watch. Hiei, who normally spoke so little, was suddenly talking as if his life depended upon it, the pair of them arguing with each other; their faces so close they could touch.

"It's against the law." Hiei warned, blushing fiercely.

"It would be a shame to put a black on your spotless record." Mukuro rolled her one good eye.

"I cannot kill him!" Hiei snapped, loosing his patience.

"Is he so powerful?" Mukuro sneered.

"It's not a question of power!" Hiei sneered back. "If it was he'd have been dead at least a week ago."

"Is it a question of initiative?" Mukuro rounded on Hiei, her hands on her hips. Her robot limb flexed warningly. "I can light a fire under your ass if you wish."

"More like a blow torch!" Hiei scoffed, "And why the hell do you even _care?" _

"I've got better things to do than wait around for you!" Mukuro added hotly, "Do I look like the kind of woman who sits patiently for a man?"

Silence fell, only momentarily.

"... No one told you to wait for me. You're doing it by yourself." Hiei warned. Mukuro blanched at that. Sighing, she looked around the room, desperate to find something other to look at than Hiei. Now was not the time nor place for that discussion. Her eyes sought out the kitchen, where Hina sat glaring at the kitchen table. Mukuro glared back.

"What?" She demanded hotly. Hina rose up from the kitchen table and an icy silence fell on the room. Hina slowly strode forward, her kimono flowing in an icy cold she gave off from her ki. Mukuro was a little shocked as her breath came out in a slight mist. Hina clearly was giving her the 'cold shoulder'.

"Where is it?" Hina demanded, her voice deadly.

"Where is what?" Mukuro drawled, "I don't have time for your riddles." Hiei looked between them, his eyes wider than normal.

"My stone!" Hina shouted so loudly that Kurama jumped a little. Mukuro did nothing.

"Safe." She growled out.

"_Where?" _Hina shouted again.

After a moment of tense silence, Mukuro slowly lifted her eyepatch. Beyond her acid marred complexion, the hiroseke stone sat grounded deep into her eye socket. It shone a twinkling blue, the brightest star in the evening sky.

"That's...disgusting..." Hina whispered, shocked.

"Thank you." Mukuro grinned, as if that had been a compliment.

Hina smiled at Mukuro. "... We gladly feast on those who'd wish to destroy us." Hiei whispered so that only he and Mukuro could hear. Mukuro nodded a little.

"Where are _your _parents?" Hina asked, moodily.

"My mother is dead." Mukuro grinned as if this was a happy thought, "I killed her. My father is in a planters pot by my bed. Hiei gave him to me as a birthday present. Just what I wanted!" She laughed icily at this. Hiei shrugged, grinning back.

"Ah, it was nothing." Hiei rolled his ruby red eyes, "Kurama was the brains behind the operation."

"Really?" Mukuro smiled at the youko, who shrugged.

"Well, I gave Hiei the seeds he needed to rape your fathers' brain." Kurama explained.

"How sweet of you." Mukuro sneered.

"...Your father... is... a plant?" Hina clearly could not get over that fact.

"For now." Mukuro answered moodily, "I'll kill him when I tire of him."

Hina reeled, holding onto the back of a chair for support. This woman... had not only killed her mother, but was now planning to kill her father as well? What kind of ungodly heathen had such thoughts?

"You're... You're going to _kill _your parents?" Hina whispered, trembling slightly. Mukuro grinned at her, bloody fangs showing in her mouth.

"Of course." She sneered, "What else would I do with them?"

"...Love them." The words could barely be heard as they left Hina's mouth. At this, Mukuro laughed outright, her voice echoing off the walls so that a hundred Mukuro's laughed back at Hina.

"Love!" She snickered, "I don't know the meaning of the word."

"Then stay away from my son." Hina growled. Mukuro's head snapped around, her one good eye glaring fiercely at Hina. Hina did not care, glaring right back. This woman had taken her into a level of anger she didn't even know existed. She would not corrupt her son with these awful thoughts. She would _not! _

Without a word, Hiei rose up from his seat, taking Hina abruptly by the arm. Striding into his bedroom, he quickly closed the door behind them so that mother and son were left in tense silence. Hina stared at him, eyes wide, heart racing. Hiei glared at her, as he had never glared before. As if she had done something wrong!

"Never talk like that to Mukuro again." Hiei ordered her. Hina scoffed angrily.

"I'll talk to her anyway that I like!" She snapped, "Especially when-"

"No!"

Hiei all but slammed his foot down in protest. Hina gaped.

"You will _never _talk like that to Mukuro again!" Hina snarled, his eyes blazing, "You don't know her like I know her!"

"Like you know her?" Hina repeated the phrase back, "A person who decapitates people for pictures and _murders _her own _parents? _Do you know what kind of a person does that?"

Hiei was in her face, their noses nearly pressing, both of their tempers growing higher and higher-!

"A person like me!" Hiei shouted. Hina gaped at him.

"...Hiei." She whispered, slightly nervous, "I've never heard you speak like this, act like this, before. Ever."

"Yeah, well, you've been dead for a real long time. I grew up an animal, I act like an animal, I am an animal and I'm proud of it." Hiei turned away, his back to his mother.

"No you're not!" It was Hina's turn to shout. She grabbed Hiei rough by the shoulder, spinning him around, "Is that what she tells you? Is it?"

"What she tells me is none of your business!" Hiei shouted back.

"Anyone who makes you believe you're an animal is the devil!" Hina cried out. "She's the devil do you hear me?"

"You're the devil!"

_Smack! _

Hiei froze up. Hina clapped a hand to her mouth, horrified. What had she done...? She hadn't meant it. She hadn't wanted to do it... but it had just come out of her like an awful monster... tearing at her and making her loose control. She'd _slapped _her own _son. _Now Hiei was staring at her as if she were a stranger.

"-Hiei-" Hina choked out, reaching out with a trembling hand to touch the flaming hand print on Hiei's cheek. But Hiei stepped back quickly, his guard up. With narrowed eyes, he brushed past her, so that she was all but knocked into the wall. Wrenching the door open, he slammed it shut behind her. The window panes rattled.

_**(End Scene) **_

_**Oh boy... this doesn't look to good does it? Well what did you expect? Hina's Hiei and Mukuro's Hiei are two different Hiei's... She has to face, sooner or later, the fact that Hiei isn't all she thought he was. I'm not going to say who the 'she' is. You're going to find that out next chapter. Coming up, Mukuro and Hina have a battle of words and witts. The winner takes all... and Hiei does a lot of thinking. Who will he picks? The woman he loves, or the mother that loves him? **_


	16. TablePillow Talk

_**Halloooo thar. How it be, chickie pees? I bet you're ready for the next update... let me assure you, I enjoyed all the reviews. Reviews= love to writers. It's like sex without the awkwardness. chocolate without the heartburn. George Bush without the public speeches. Oh, happy day. Just a couple of notes. A reviewer by the name of 'Jessica' has always been dedicated to reading these chapters and wanting me to update quicker. I thank her for her kindness and loyalty to the story. I assure you, I will write as quickly as I can. Another reviewer by the name of NoName128 also brought up an interesting point. You mentioned that Mukuro seemed cruel in the last chapter. Very good, my plot is working. Remember, Noname128, there are two sides to Mukuro. Hina doesn't know who Mukuro is, what her relationship to Hiei consists of, etc... Naturally, she seems cruel at first. **_

_**Thank you to all my reviewers! On with the show! **_

_**(Scene Break)**_

The day was bleak. Hiei did not return from wherever he'd run off too, and Hina did not feel obliged to show her face again outside of the kitchen. She cooked, she cleaned, she re organized the cupboards. Anything to stay away from the sight of Mukuro sprawled on the couch like some kind of queen on her throne, with her one good eye staring daggers at the door, waiting like a large cat for it's prey. Yusuke, Kurama, and Kuwabara were more than happy to introduce their brood to Mukuro, who simply did not seem to care. She wasn't impolite by far standards, but she certainly didn't go into detail when they asked her questions. She was frank, she was short, and she was direct. Keiko, Shizuru, and Yukina were very happy to let her be, preferring instead to boost the moral of their men. Genkai merely drank her tea and sat next to Mukuro on the couch, passing the day by without much disturbance.

But for Hina the day was far from relaxing. It was full of apprehension and fear.

She'd _slapped _her own _son. _Her child, her baby... Just thinking about it brought stinging tears to her eyes which she hastily wiped away. She recalled so easily how tender, tiny, and pink Hiei had been just minutes after birth, wailing with lungs much too big for his small body, eyes not even open yet, tiny fists outstretched, longing to be held by his mother.

She'd _slapped _him. And for that, she deserved to die.

As night fell, Hina contented herself with meticulously cleaning the countertops, wiping every square surface until it shone. She was well aware that Genkai was watching her. She said nothing to the elderly fighter, wiping a glass for the third time and setting it back in it's proper place.

"When I was young, my mother wanted me to be a seamstress. You can imagine her surprise when instead I was going to be a martial artist and psychic."

Hina paused in her cleaning ritual. Looking over her shoulder, she gave Genkai a wry grin of welcome. Taking it with stride, Genkai silently closed the door to the outside rooms, relaxing herself on the countertops where she put her empty mug of tea in the sink and washed it.

"...Did you bring home crazy people too?" Hina grumbled after a minute, wringing out her wet rag and sighing. She leaned into the counter, her palms down on either side.

"Actually yes." Genkai nodded, a little abashedly, "I brought home Toguro."

"Toguro?" Hina gaped, completely taken aback.

"When we were young, we were in love. Before he turned into a monster." Genkai explained. At the word 'monster', Hina remembered the shocked look on Hiei's face after she'd slapped him. He'd looked stung.

"Now my son is in love with a monster. Or so he thinks." Hina whispered.

"... Mukuro is a layered woman. There is much you don't see, and much that she makes you see. Frankly, I enjoy Mukuro's company because I know who she under the layers... and I can promise you, if you knew who that person was, you would enjoy her too." Genkai promised with a small smile.

"Today..." Hina did not want to admit her faults, but in the eyes of Genkai, so aged and experienced, endless amounts of wisdom lay waiting, "Genkai, I slapped him today. He called me the Devil and I _slapped _my _son." _Hina whispered. "... I have to know why this occurred. I have to believe it wasn't because I'm a bad mother or he's a bad son." Hina shook her head, "And I need to know who this other Mukuro is. I need to know. I have to. Hiei and Yukina are the only things I have." Hina could not keep the breakage out of her voice. "I lost my son once I can't do it again."

Genkai stared at her for a few minutes, taking her in. After a moment of hesitant silence, she turned away. "...Wait here." She urged, walking out of the kitchen. In the frank silence, Hina shivered on the countertops, wishing she could sink into them, and disappear from the world and it's judging eyes.

_**(Scene Break) **_

By the fireplace, Mukuro was still waiting on the couch, her eyes locked on the door. She was the only one left, and in the dying light of the fire her dark acid burns cast grave shadows over her already gaunt face. Genkai watched her from a cautious distance.

"Good evening, Mukuro." Genkai greeted. Mukuro snorted, not looking around.

"Good isn't exactly the word I would use."

Genkai stepped up a little closer, coming around the edge of the sofa to sit on the coffee table. Mukuro still did not look at her, her eyes locked on the door.

"... Today was a difficult day for you and for Hiei. For Hina most of all. She's a stranger to your story. She doesn't know who you are on the inside, the kind person you can be. She doesn't know your story when it comes to Hiei. If she did she'd have reacted differently. From her point of view, she saw two callous cold people who showed a lack of respect for human life. But that's because she doesn't know you like I know you. Like Hiei knows you. Why don't you give her a chance... talk to her." Genkai offered.

"About what." Mukuro snorted.

"Tell her your story."

At this, Mukuro looked around, sneering with a curled lip. "For what?" She demanded, ill convinced.

"Well, for Hiei. For yourself. For her. Think about how much better she'd feel if she knew the whole truth." Genkai added.

"It's none of her business." Mukuro snapped, settling back into the couch with her eyes tight on the door.

"... Mukuro... She's his mother. If you love him, in a way, you should love her too." Genkai murmured, soft and low.

Mukuro blinked. For a while she did not move or speak. Then, she very slowly looked around, glaring murderously at the old master.

"... If this goes over badly, I'm going to kick you so hard that you'll have to stick a toothbrush up your ass to clean your teeth." Mukuro threatened.

Genkai chuckled, nodding. "If it goes over badly, I'll more than allow it."

_**(Scene Break) **_

At the kitchen table, Hina sipped cold and stale tea, thinking of the life she lead, and the life she could have had. Her sorrow filled her up, flowing over so that a tear slid down her cheek, turning into a hiroseke. It dropped into the teacup. In it's ripple, she imagined a mirage of a world she once knew... She could see in her minds eye, Hiei as a small child, light, and happy and hopeful. She would have raised him to love and respect all things. She would have adored him, giving him everything his heart desired. If Yukiei had lived thru the onslaught of koorime after the twins birth, Yukiei would have been a wonderful father. He would have taught Hiei how to hunt, how to make a fire, how to ride a horse, how to hold a sword. After all, Yukiei was a trained master in Ijitsu, learned in the Japanese sword. She could remember him doing the Moon-Moo koto, swinging and dicing like a propeller... Hiei would have been entranced. Hiei would have followed in his father's footsteps.

When Hina had first met Hiei, so long ago on Genkai's front steps, he had looked kind and mature, a true gentlemen in the wilderness... but now she saw that what looked like a happy young man was really just a layer upon a layer... the true Hiei hid beneath a mask in a box, never opened, never disturbed. Something else appeared in Hina's cup. At first she thought it was just a trick of her imagination, but it turned out to be a reflection of Mukuro who was standing behind Hina like a black and menacing shadow.

"... What do you need." Hina whispered, closing her eyes so as to block out the image of Mukuro. Just what she needed, another demon following her.

"I need nothing from you. What I do need I get for myself." Hina heard a chair creak, and opened her eyes to see Mukuro sitting down across from her, lounging and languid with a scowl set deep on her face. She looked murderous.

For a minute Hina said nothing, looking deep into Mukuro's one good eye. The two women stared each other down, both ready to fight with their claws outstretched and their teeth bared. Had they been animals, they would have been growling.

"I can't loose my son." Hina spat out. "I don't know who you are, or what you want, but I can't loose my son. I've already had to deal with that pain once. I don't think I'll survive a second round. I know I didn't make it thru the first... I threw myself off a glacier. I was insane. I heard voices, I ate rotten food, I didn't bathe, and I stank like an animal..." Hina shivered, the truth laid bare on the table. Mukuro's gaze softened a little, though it was still a guarded one, "I can't go thru that again. I can't be that kind of person again. Do you understand." Hina asked softly.

"More than you know." Mukuro answered, drumming her fingers gently on the table. Though Hina did not know it, Mukuro was thinking of her own past before she'd found the Hiroseke stone... before she'd found her salvation.

"Today I saw a side of my son that frightened me. I saw him angry. I saw him hateful. I saw him with you. Who could blame me for thinking the two are connected." Hina admitted.

"... You think I make him hateful?" Mukuro sneered a little, her voice on the edge of a drawl. Hina grimaced.

"I think you make him voice his hate." Hina ground out.

"To you perhaps." Mukuro grumbled. Hina flared up at once.

"What do you mean?" She demanded, "My son has never-!"

"Never what?" Mukuro cut across, leaning forward so that Hina withdrew to keep from accidentally touching Mukuro. "What have you been around to see him do or not do for that matter."

"You mock my loss." Hina hissed, angrily.

"Life is loss." It was not a condescending tone, but it angered Hina none the less.

"That's just one side of the coin." Hina snapped.

"Fine then, lets flip the coin shall we?" Mukuro leaned in even further so that Hina could not shy away, could not get away from this wild woman, "You saw him hateful, but what didn't you see? What did you refuse to see because you couldn't understand it? You saw the hate, but you didn't see the love. You heard the coldness, but you didn't hear the fierce protection he holds over us. Over what we've built. He wasn't being rude to you. He was being rude to the idea of us being torn asunder. Believe me, you're not the first to try and tell him that I'm not good for him. You're lucky. The last two were torn to pieces. He devoured them in flame. Tell me you've never seen love like that."

Mukuro finally leaned back, waiting patiently. Hina froze up. Upon hearing the words 'devoured in flame' she'd felt her memory pull her back, recalling a time when she and Yukiei had been young and in love. When they'd socialized with other men... he'd been very aggressive. Very defensive... Just like Hiei.

"Perhaps." Hina admitted, "But that doesn't explain your own vulgar behavior. You may look like a lady but you certainly don't act like one."

Mukuro smiled, a little sadly, shaking her head, "Once again you see one thing but ignore another. You know nothing of my history, but instead of asking you decide to judge by false interpretation. Once again, a bad move on your part." Mukuro added, wagging her finger. Hina was the one to snort now.

"I shouldn't have to ask. It should be apparent." Hina smacked her fist impatiently on the table. When she was young and in school, she could recall how her teachers, neighbors, and own mother had always stressed being polite, being kind, and being honest.

"Once again you set the bar too high. What human being holds themselves open like a book for all to see? Hmm?" Mukuro even grinned at that.

Hina stared at the woman, trying to see thru all her layers.

"... How do I know I can trust you?" Hina whispered, her eyes narrowed.

Mukuro chuckled, "You'd be wise not to." She laughed.

"See!" Hina shouted, "Right there!" Mukuro looked a little shocked, "That's what turns me away! That's what makes me think you're not good for my son. Give me a reason to believe your good!"

Mukuro's face fell at the word 'good'.

"... There is none that I know of. My mother sold me into slavery shortly after birth. My father imprisoned me as a slave before I knew what a slave even was. Raped me every year on my birthday... it was a 'present'. You know how I escaped from my chains?" Mukuro paused to let her words sink in. Hina's face fell, disgusting and horrified that a parent would even think of doing that to their own child, "I poured acid over my body. My father, disgusted with me, turned me away and I ran with my freedom. But even so... I still retained one chain on my wrist. I guess it was fitting that no matter how far I ran.. I'd still always be a slave up here. (taps head) I hated everything and everyone. I killed everything and everyone. I soon became known for my torturing ways, and eventually rose to power thru force and fear... I thought for a long time that I would remain a rotting corpse forever... till one day, while at the river, I prayed for an angel to save me from myself. It was the first time I had ever asked god for anything, you know. (pause) I thought he wouldn't answer me. After all the terrible things I'd done... but... as I bathed and prayed, I felt something under my foot. Something round. I picked it up, to see it was a hiroseke. But not just any hiroseke... one full of love. I didn't know it at the time.. but it was Hiei's birth stone. With it's peaceful love, I knew that I could conquer anything... I knew that I could retain my goodness. So I held it close to me. Eventually I heard about him, who didn't? A black shadow with a bloody sword that worked side by side with the 'boogy man' of demons. I watched them from afar. I saw them defeat Toguro... I saw them knock out Sensui. I realized that he, along with his friends, were something special. Something nearly unattainable in demon world. They were a family. I decided to test him. I sent him a correspondence. At first I thought he wouldn't respond. But he did... and when I saw him for the first time... I knew. I knew who he was. I knew who he longed to be. What he longed to do."

Hina put the pieces together. "So you put Shigure against him."

"Of course." Mukuro smiled, "It was a pitch to the death. It was exquisite. How many times had I seen demons battle for money, power, girls, fame... not once had I seen them battle for honor. For love... What can I say...? I was infatuated with him. When I found out that the stone he sought for was the stone that i possessed, I gladly gave it to him. But he gave it back to me. I found that odd, since it was a trademark to his tales, and people like us don't keep things around unless they really mean something to us. But he let me keep it. Why me, I wondered. What did he know that I didn't."

Mukuro raised up her eye protection, gently touching the hiroseke stone that sat proudly in her broken eye socket.

"So he worked for you." Hina figured.

"Oh yes." Mukuro nodded, "And what an amazing fighter he was. In time I trained him to be my right hand man... he never disappointed. He was full of fire, full of fight... but at the same time full of loyalty and love. I could see something in his eyes. Something I had never seen before. Something... beautiful. Unique. Perfect. Something that seemed to say _'With everything I do, I love you'. _And... and he lived perfectly. Not one single flaw, in the moves that he made, in the breathes he took. It was ... ungodly. Then the Demon tournament came. Urameshi's idea. We fought against one another. I didn't want to hurt him, but what else could I do? Let him kill me... But... I realized as we battled that he never intended to hurt me. It was as if he wasn't trying to fight. As if he was dancing. I beat him. He fell to the ground, but... but he rose back up and... he pointed to me... and my chain fell off. My wrist chain. The one I'd worn since birth. The one that had marked me as a slave. He broke that chain loose... and it fell to the ground." Mukuro paused, her mouth ajar. Hina felt touched.

"In that moment I knew. No matter where life took us, we'd go together. Even if it meant loosing everything. At least I wouldn't loose him, and what he'd given to me. We've been together ever since." Mukuro explained.

Ah. It clicked.

"... I see... And... you said that your father... was a plant?" Hina asked, still a little confused.

"Oh, that. Well, even with the chain gone, I heard on the wind that my old man was fucking girls that were just children. It made me sick to my stomach. I just couldn't enjoy life knowing he was running away form his fate. Hiei found out about it, and called me a coward for not killing him. He told me that my father had never loved me. that he'd only used me. Fucked with my head, you know? I punched him so hard he went thru two walls." Mukuro laughed. "... He vanished. I thought at first I'd driven him off and... it broke me. But, then three days later he returned, with a plant. Well, a man plant. A man who'd been turned into a plant. He had vines all over him. It's a form of torture. I don't expect you to understand. You know what he said to me?"

Hina smiled. "What?" She asked tenderly.

"... 'Happy Birthday'. He remembered my birthday. Can you imagine that." Mukuro seemed shocked at the idea that someone would remember such an event, and shook her head, smiling.

Hina shifted in her seat, draining the last of her tea. Her hiroseke stone sat in the bottom of her cup. She did not reach to retrieve it and set her cup aside.

"... So you two are together?"

"Yes."

"... Forgive me for prying but... are you ...married-"

Mukuro cut her off rather quickly, "No. I doubt we ever will be. Marriage isn't something we were ever destined for. We don't need a ring to show our love for one another." At this, Hina nodded.

"I know the feeling. But sometimes it makes things more... official. More concrete. You know?" Hina asked.

"I know." Mukuro assured her.

"... Do you want to have children?"

"Ha!" Mukuro burst out, looking overwhelmed. She raked a hand thru her shaggy auburn locks, " Children, ha! My god... No. I could never be a mother. Hiei would be a wonderful father, but I have a feeling that any child of mine would turn into a... what did you call me... a 'heathen'"

"Forgive me-" Hina felt ashamed, but Mukuro cut her off again.

"For what? Seeing what I wanted you to see? Hearing what I wanted you to hear... No. Don't apologize. You only did what everyone else has done. I'm used to being thought of as a monster." Mukuro smiled again.

Hina reached out, touching Mukuro's robotic hand, "You are _not _a monster."

Mukuro was shocked. She stared at where their hands touched, and then looked at Hina, surprised.

"You're not." Hina repeated. "You're a good person whose been thru horrible things. We all have bad and good qualities inside of us, Mukuro. It's the ones that we act upon that make us who we are. No wonder Hiei was so protective. I can see why someone would want to hold a girl like you close." Hina smiled. Mukuro's look of surprise only doubled.

"... You're too kind."

"No, I'm being very honest. As his mother, I'd tell you if I didn't like you. And I'm glad that you have the hiroseke. Really. Hiei doesn't need it. He doesn't need me. But he does need you, and that's what matters, yes?" Hina sniffed, holding back her tears. It was a lie to say that she was glad Hiei didn't need her, but it wasn't Mukuro's fault that Hiei was a grown man who didn't need a mother. It wasn't Mukuro's fault that she'd never been able to raise her son, to have the delights of a mother.

"... I wouldn't say that he doesn't need you." Mukuro attempted to cheer Hina up, but it was useless.

"Oh, Mukuro..." Hina laughed bitterly, "My son never knew me. He never had to live without me. I was never with him in the first place."

".. He got the jagan to find you. He spent half his life looking for you." Mukuro added gently.

"He finally finds me and what am I? A ghost. No wonder he's disappointed." She shook her head, her hands trembling from the rush of shame and sorrow she felt. She hastily drew out a handkerchief from her pocket, brushing her reddened eyes.

"As someone who has never had a mother, allow me to say that you are a very good mother. That I don't think he's disappointed in you. I think he wants to make everyone happy, and he doesn't know how." Mukuro explained, "He'd never admit that though." At this, they both laughed.

"You might be right." Hina sniffed, laughing again, "And don't think you'd be a bad mother. You'd be a better one than me, that's for damn sure. Who knows, one day you two might have children." Hina thought of the day fondly.

"God forbid." Mukuro snorted, "I fear the world may never recover."

The pair of them laughed. There were certain times in life when one found a friend thru accident or trauma. Being brought back to life was one of them.

_**(Scene Break) **_

When Hiei finally returned, it was very late (or very early). Around one in the morning he slipped silently into the boys common room, only to be confronted by Hina who was sleeping fitfully on the couch. Mukuro was no where to be seen and Hiei wondered if his mother had run her off. Discontent, he irritably threw a blanket over her as he passed. Try though he might to be angry with her, he simply could not. She was, after all, his mother. But as the thick wool draped over Hina's lap, her hand shot up to grab the crook of his elbow, pulling him back. He stumbled, sitting on the top of the couch as Hina roused herself from broken sleep, rubbing her eyes to stare at her son.

"... I'm so sorry." Hina whispered, groggily.

"For what." Hiei grumbled.

"For slapping you. For saying those things about Mukuro. We talked, she and I... I think we've come to an understanding. I just wanted you to know that... that I'm happy you've found someone you love." Hina tried for a smile. Hiei was surprised, and his expression showed it. Slowly he pried his elbow away from his mother's clammy fingers.

"Go to sleep, mother." Hiei whispered, rising up.

"Goodnight, Hiei." Hina fell back to sleep, this time less fitful. Hiei had a feeling she would rest more easy now.

"...Goodnight." Hiei murmured, and, before his prideful nature could stop him, he gave her a chaste kiss on the forehead.

It was with silent footsteps that he stalked away, his eyes searching for Mukuro. But she was no where to be found. Wondering if she was hiding, Hiei opened the door to his room.

Mukuro was on the bed, curled up and utterly naked.

A flush of heated embarrassment shot thru Hiei, and he quickly (albeit silently) closed the door, locking it for good measure. Mukuro shifted slightly, her face pressed into the pillow. Without her battle clothes, or her hi tech equipment, Hiei thought she looked like a beautiful doll that had been half tossed in the fire. Her robotic arm twitched as he approached, an old habit that never died. He tilted his head, smiling at Mukuro as she snoozed.

"If you're going to lay your moves on me, at least use a bit of stealth. You're breathing so hard I could shoot you in the dark." Mukuro murmured sleepily. Hiei broke into a wide grin. He didn't give half a damn about the fact that he was surrounded by his friends that were only a few thin walls away. He didn't give a damn that his mother was on the sofa just on the other side of a sparsely locked door. The only thing he gave a damn about was the way her skin looked when it glowed in the moonlight, marred and magnificent. He'd worship it, he'd mar it some more. He fight with her, fuck with her; close quarters be damned.

He pounced. She made a disgruntled noise. Covers were removed, pillows were knocked to the floor. In the dark of the knight there were gasps, sighs, and once or twice the phrase 'Where the _hell _did you learn to do that?' punched the air between shaky grunts and moans.

All in all, it was a rather good night.

_**(End Scene... Though not the End of the Night :D) **_

_**Enjoy. I'll have the next chapter up as soon as I can. Please Review. **_


	17. Shaken Up pt 1

_**Hey everyone! Get ready... The next three chapters are going to be jam packed full of crazy excitement. Please go ready to loose your minds. After the next three chaps we'll be 2/3rds done with the story. Yeehaw. It's been a crazy ride, and it's not over yet babies! :D I know people wonder why I don't update regularly, that's because I have bills and shit. Please, please, help momma help you. I have to take care of my life before I write about stuff that's not even real. XD **_

_**Anyways, on with the show bitches!**_

_**(Scene Break) **_

In the darkened cigar room, Tarukane lounged in his favorite recliner, his eyes glued to the tv screen where two sweat slicked girls moaned and begged for mercy. He was not alone. Behind him, a servant was poised, looking nervous.

"Tarukane, sir..." The man begin with a quiver, "The girl has been vanquished."

"What?" Tarukane snapped, his eyes drifting from his adult film for only a few seconds, "I had her use the perfect technique!"

"No sir, you misunderstand. Bieli did carry out your plan.. she was killed by the fox demon Youko Kurama."

Tarukane snorted, grinning as he relaxed back in his chair, "Oh, well, that's another story."

"Shall we free her family as you promised sir?"

Tarukane rolled his beady eyes. Yes, he'd promised Bieli long and good that he'd let her family go if she did as he told her... but what was the point if she was dead? That had never been part of the deal. "Ah, broads come and go. Besides, I got bigger fish to fry. So is Hiei out of the running." Tarukane lit a fresh cigar, smelling the scent of clean money in the air.

"... no sir, there's been a slight problem."

Tarukane paused, grinding his teeth. "...Yeah?" He growled.

"Shigure healed him."

Without warning, Tarukane leapt angry from his chair, storming over to his cowering servant who backed up hastily to the wall, "WHAT?" He screamed.

"It came as a shock to us too, sir!" The servant cried, blocking his face with his arms as Tarukane picked up the fire poker and hit the weedy boy hard around the face.

"How'd that faggot get in on the game!" Tarukane demanded, hitting the servant harder and harder. The boy cried out, crashing to the floor as blood came out of his ears.

"Word underground is that someone on the team informed Shigure and had him heal Hiei! Please sir, _stop!" _The boy screamed. Tarukane relaxed his hold on the poker, letting it crash to the ground. Blood dribbled onto his fine persian rug.

"No matter, no matter." Tarukane seethed, slowly regaining his temper. He smoothed back his tie, wiping the sweat from his forehead with a beefy hand. Grabbing the servant from the floor, he hauled him up so that they were eye to eye, "I've still got my ace in the hole. Alright then, we can't make our way to Hiei, we might as well get Hiei to come to us. Get me the phone... and our prisoner."

The boy scurried from the room, weeping softly from his pain.

_**(Scene Break) **_

It was the morning of the day before the semi finals, and the team was in good spirits. The boys, content with their odds, relaxed around the common room as the girls frequented themselves with gossip, getting to know their newfound friend Mukuro who said little but perceived much. The demoness was no less terrifying, but there was something intriguing about her that made it easy to enjoy her company. She was down to earth.

"Allow me to at least _peak _at your eye?" Hina asked, her healing kit on the coffee table as she and Mukuro squared off on the sofa. Mukuro snorted.

"I'm fine." She grumbled.

Hina felt her temper begin to rise. "Let me be the judge of that."

"No."

"Mukuro-"

"No."

Hina launched herself at Mukuro, grabbing her eye monocle and attempting to pull it free. But Mukuro swatted her away so that Hina fell back onto the cushions, her shoulder stinging. Hina swatted back, reaching once more for the monocle.

"Get off of me you old maid!" Mukuro snapped. Grinning, Hina swatted her good and hard on the ear so that Mukuro gasped at Hina's quick reflexes.

"How's that for old maid?" Hina laughed, shoving Mukuro hard onto the sofa.

"Mom, stop it!" Yukina sighed, annoyed at her mother's childish behavior.

"Don't you put your grubby little hands on me!" Mukuro warned, grinning all the while as she shoved Hina back. They fell onto the floor by the couch and the coffee table, scrounging all the while as they tussled.

"They seem to be getting along." Kurama smiled as he sipped his coffee.

"Um..." Kuwabara griped, "You sure about that?"

"Demon women play differently that human women. Observe how even though Hina and Mukuro are fighting, they're not biting or leaving marks?" Kurama pointed out. Kuwabara looked closely. Truth be told all they were really doing was rolling around on the floor, trying to gain the upper hand.

"What are they doing?" Kuwabara asked.

"They're tussling. It's common amongst female demons." Kurama assured him. "Watch."

Back on the floor, Hina finally had managed to gain the upper hand, trapping Mukuro between her thighs.

"Get off!" Mukuro snarled.

"Let me see!" Hina demanded, finally getting the monocle free. Mukuro's bad eye glared at her from around the hiroseke and Hina tisked moodily. "Oh this will never do. I want to thoroughly examine-"

"My fist?" Mukuro leered, snatching her monocle back, "My pleasure!" She swatted Hina off so that Hina fell onto her backside.

"Hey!" Yukina cried out, "Don't fight with my mother!"

Mukuro turned to the younger koorime, her grin never fading. "Ah, come on, Yukina..." Mukuro slowly got her feet, swinging back and forth like a lioness about to pounce, "You know you want to play."

"No!" Yukina started giggling uncontrollably, backing up hastily, "I don't!"

"Yes you do!"

Mukuro launched herself at Yukina, who laughed and ran for her life, nearly tripping over the corner of the table. Hiei watched agog, his eye twitching from the absurdity.

"No! No!" Yukina cried out, running away as she laughed.

"What kind of fighter are you!" Mukuro laughed, "Get back here!"

"Stay back!" Yukina whipped around, her hands out in front of Mukuro, charging with a light blue ki, "I warn you I have techniques to."

"Oh this I gotta see." Mukuro sneered, not unkindly.

"Stay back!" Yukina warned again. When Mukuro did not she stuttered, finally crying out, "_Freezing wind!" _An icy jet of wind blasted from her two hands, hitting Mukuro in the chest. Mukuro shivered, looking refreshed.

"Oh, that felt good." Mukuro grinned, "Do you mind if you do that again?" She launched herself at Yukina, tickling her mercilessly.

"Stop!" Yukina screamed between peels of laughter, "Stop!"

"Ticklish?" Shizuru was grinning now, getting up from her own chair as she began to scrunch up her fingers tauntingly.

"No! No! NO!" Yukina screamed out gayly as Shizuru attacked Yukina from behind, tickling her just as fast as Mukuro. Yukina screamed and thrashed, nearly kicking a chair over as she laughed until her cheeks turned bright pink.

The phone rang.

At once, the three girls stopped. Hina picked herself up from the floor, looking at the phone on the wall warily. At once, the laughter died down as the phone continued to buzz. Eyes roamed the room, searching for the one willing to pick up the phone... Hiei, it seemed, was up for the job. Rising up from his chair, he yanked the phone off of the wall, pressing it to his ear.

"What?" Hiei snapped angrily.

"Oh, it's you! Surprised to hear your voice!" Tarukane laughed from the other side of the phone. Hiei gritted his teeth.

"Why?" He growled, "Have other plans?"

"Thought you'd be six feet under by now." Tarukane admitted merrily.

"You're little plot didn't work." Hiei growled.

"What little plot? The one that involved kidnapping your father?" At this, Tarukane burst into laughter. Hiei's heart jolted in a way it had never done before. "Do me a favor, big boy. Put me on speaker phone."

"Why?" Hiei could not keep the worry out of his voice.

"Just a whim." Tarukane laughed.

Hiei slowly put the phone on speaker, pressing a finger to his lips so that everyone remained quiet.

"Alright, what do you want?" Hiei demanded angrily.

"Is Hina there?"

Hina's heart pounded. Coming around the sofa, she approached the phone in Hiei's hands.

"And if I am?" Hina snapped.

"Listen." Taruken sing songed. For a moment there was silence on the other end as her heart hammered wildly in her chest. From the background there was shuffling, a strange guttural noise like an animal and then...

"_...Hi...na..." _

"...Yukiei...?" Hina gasped, her eyes wide as she clapped a hand over her mouth. That voice! That was his voice!

"Smart girl." Tarukane laughed darkly. Snatching the phone from Hina's hands she held it tight to hear ear as she screamed.

"Yukiei! Yukiei!" Hina cried out, "ANSWER ME! ANSWER ME RIGHT THIS MINUTE! RIGHT THIS INSTANT DO YOU HEAR?"

But there was no answer.

"Let him go!" Hina screamed, "Let him go or I'll kill you all!"

But it was an empty threat. What could she do against Tarukane? It seemed Tarukane knew that.

"I'd like to see you try." he laughed, "Really, I would!... Remember, the semi finals are tomorrow... You loose the bet, Yukiei dies."

"Let him go!" Hina could not stop herself, the words were gushing out of her mouth like water, "Let him go! This is between you and us! This has nothing to do with him!"

"Remember Hina..." Tarukane laughed, "If you don't win... You're ours... and Yukiei... dies..." There was a click on the other end.

"No, wait, YUKIEI!" Hina screamed, but the phone was dead. She dropped it so that it clattered to the wall, only held by it's chord. "...Yukiei..."

_**(Scene Break) **_

It had been difficult to get Hina to stop screaming out. The entire morning was ruined, and by the mid afternoon Hina had already succumbed to an anxiety attack from the sounds of her husbands faded voice. Genkai held her soothingly in the quiet bedroom as Hina wrestled with her inner demons.

"I... I heard his voice... I heard it... It's not a trap... It's real... I heard his voice." Hina got out thru pants, unable to get a firm hold on her breathing.

"Men are cruel creatures." Genkai sighed, holding Hina tight as she wrestled with another wave of anxiety.

"Yukiei... Yukiei... I need to save him! I need to protect him!"

"Hina, calm down..." Genkai urged, holding her tight as the older woman shook and shivered violently, "Calm down..."

But it was no use.

_**(Scene Break) **_

"... I heard her voice..."

Tarukane took a slow drag of his cigar, grinning lazily. Yukiei lay on the floor, broken and bloody.

"Yeah, well, you've been such a good boy to us. Here's a little present. Something from me to you." Tarukane fished around in his silk pocket, throwing a tape recorder down at Yukiei's feet. Yukiei twitched; Tarukane rose from the dirty floor where he had crouched, walking lazily out the door of the dungeon. He paused in the threshold. "That voice at the beginning? It's your son."

Tarukane slammed the dungeon door. Yukiei shivered on the floor, reaching out for the tape recorder that lay by his left foot. His fingers twitched on the play button, finally managing to press it just right. His cheek pressed to the floor, Yukiei's ears strained to hear...

"_**...What?"**_

"_**Oh, it's you! Surprised to hear your voice!"**_

"_**Why?"**_

"_**Thought you'd be... feeling under the weather."**_

"_**You're little plot didn't work."**_

"_**What little plot? The one that involved kidnapping your father? Do me a favor, big boy. Put me on speaker phone."**_

"_**Why?"**_

"_**Just a whim."**_

"_**Alright, what do you want?"**_

"_**Is Hina there?"**_

"_**... And if I am?" **_Yukiei's heart leapt into his throat. Her voice... He knew her voice.

"_**Do me a favor, listen!"**_

And then, Yukiei heard his own voice...

"_**Yukiei...?" **_Hina whispered, her voice amazed.

"_**Smart girl." **_

"_**Yukiei! Yukiei! ANSWER ME! ANSWER ME RIGHT THIS MINUTE! RIGHT THIS INSTANT DO YOU HEAR?"**_

Unable resist, Yukiei nimbly felt for the rewind button. For a minute there was a strange noise, and then...

"_**Yukiei! Yukiei! ANSWER ME! ANSWER ME RIGHT THIS MINUTE! RIGHT THIS INSTANT DO YOU HEAR?"**_

He did it again.

"_**Yukiei! Yukiei!"**_

He could not resist. It was no use.

_**(Scene Break) **_

"He's just trying to get us worked up. He's trying to make us fumble. Listen, I just checked the semi finals, guess who they're against?"

Yusuke and Kurama sat at the kitchen table, well past midnight. Nothing was on the table, save for their hands which were clasped in front of them. The day had started off so well.

"Who?" Kurama murmured.

"Team Tarukane." Yusuke gave a wry grin. Kurama's jaw dropped.

"Team Tarukane?" He demanded, his scarlet hair falling as he shook his head, "There must be some mistake."

"No mistake." Yusuke shook his head, "I checked three different times. We're taking them on one stage early."

"...Can we beat them?" Kurama asked, grasping his chin in deep thought.

"Sure we can." Yusuke grinned. "Don't talk like a quitter, talk like a winner. Not only can we beat them, but we _are, _going to beat them."

"Yusuke," Kurama pursed his lips, "I'm not so sure about this."

"What aren't you sure about?" Yusuke scoffed.

"Tarukane has to have an ace hidden up his sleeve." Kurama made chopping motions with both of his hands. "He wouldn't pit us up against his team a match early unless he thought we were going to loose."

"Kurama..." Yusuke didn't know how to assure his red headed friend. "We're going to be fine." But his words were hollow and were hard to believe.

"Yusuke... I don't know." Kurama shook his head again, "I just don't know." They sat there in silence for a very long time... till the sun slowly came up over the hill.

_**(Scene Break) **_

In her bedroom, Hina lay broken hearted on her bed unable to sleep. Fitfully she nodded off from time to time, until her dreams finally came...

_**They could have been a wonderful family. In a field of familiar flowers, Hina felt like she was running.. no, she was running... running thru a beautiful field of flowers. The sky overhead was pristine blue, no yellow, no white, no who gave a damn... who gave a damn at all when Yukiei was there? **_

_**He was tall. Proud. His samurai armor glistening perfectly in the bright sun. His long hair was tied back into a long ponytail, braided half way down his waist. His bright red eyes were so full of fire and light. **_

_**He was not alone. **_

_**Hiei was very young, probably only two or three. His eyes were bright, his smile was big, his hands were small. He leapt into his fathers arms, delighted, and Yukiei swung him around and around. Yukina was there, just as small, her eyes round and ruby red. She and Hiei tackled their father, so happy to finally have him at last. Hina ran to her family, sweeping them up in her arms, kissing cheeks, rubbing noses, and holding her daughter tight. **_

_**Something was not right. A cold wind began to blow. Hina rose up, holding Yukina tight to her breast, fearful. She looked around, noticing that dark clouds were pouring in from overhead, that it was clear a storm was coming. Yukiei held Hiei in his firm arms, looking left and right in confusion. But their fear was soon answered by a hooded figure that came to them with glowing red eyes. **_

_**Tarukane. **_

_**He cackled maniacally, snapping his clawed fingers so that Yukiei suddenly evaporated, like smoke in the wind. Hiei fell to the ground, crying out in pain and in fear, calling out for his father. Tarukane snapped his fingers again and Hiei began to wail in pain as blood poured out from his forehead. With another snap Yukina was bound in heavy chains that Hina could not carry so that she had no choice but to drop her daughter! **_

_**No! No! Things were supposed to be better! Things were supposed to work out right for their family! No! NO! **_

_**(Scene Break) **_

Hina awoke in a heavy sweat, panting sharply as she clutched at her breast. It was around four in the morning, judging from the clock on her bedside table.

Something had to be done.

"Enough." She growled, anger stirred in her heart. She rose immediately from her bed, fire pumping thru her veins. She was tired of weeping, tired of loosing things that mattered to her. She would not loose anymore. She would face Tarukane today. She would gain Yukiei back.

She left her quarters, tying her obi tight as she walked. Making her way over to the boys chambers, she opened Hiei's door to see that both he and Mukuro were sprawled in a strange cocoon on his bed. She roused him with a rough shake so that he jerked to attention, his eyes wide with paranoia.

"Hiei, get up." Hina commanded.

"What?" Hiei demanded, utterly lost. Mukuro awoke, sleepy and angry.

"Get up." Hina repeated, "I have an idea."

"The fuck, woman-?" Mukuro growled thru a voice thick with dreams. Hina lost her patience, yanking the covers off of the bed.

"Get up!" She repeated, walking back out the door. "And put on some goddamn clothes!" She added before slamming the door behind her. Kurama was next.

Opening his door, she called out to him. "Kurama up!" she was off down the hallway, throwing open doors and switching on lights, "Yusuke up! Kazuma up! Everybody get up!" she shouted, storming into the kitchen where she yanked out a coffee cup and poured it up to the brim.

"What's going on?" Genkai was the first one out of her room, looking around warily.

"I'm not going to lay down flat on my back while some fat fuck ruins my life for the second time." Hina snapped. Drinking her coffee she moved to the living room, yanking out the chords for the tv and swapping them, taking a piece of corrective tape from the bottom of her worn out shoe and tying them together.

"What are you doing?" Hina looked over to see Yusuke agog. It was clear he thought she'd finally lost her marbles.

"The same thing I did last time." Hina grinned, plugging in the opposite chords. The tv hissed and fussed, but soon gave a new clear image. An image of the arena floor which was silent. "I'm rigging the game."

"Woah." Yusuke gaped. Hina snorted, approvingly.

"I didn't know you could do that!" Kazuma grinned, still in his boxers.

"Yeah neither did I till Hiroshi and Yukiei tore the t.v. apart last time. From now on until I get Yukiei back, no one takes a break. No one blinks, no one diverges, no one does a damn thing! You understand?" Hina demanded, pointing to each one of them in turn. The silent faces staring back at her were full of worry.

"Are you okay?" Hiei demanded, "Because I can't afford you to crack right now." Mukuro was right behind him, putting her monacle on.

"Shuttup!" Hina snapped at her son, not in the mood for his smart mouth, "We're going up against Team Tarukane, and we're not walking out without a win from each of you!"

"But what if we loose?" Kazuma asked, sitting down on the couch.

"I snap off your dick!" Hina threatened, tightening her fist for effect. Kazuma paled. "Anyone have preferences on who they want to fight today?"

"The slit mouthed woman wanted to fight me." Kurama thought, tapping his chin in worry.

"Then take her. How are you going to defeat her?"

"The death plant." Kurama offered.

"If that fails." Hina asked.

"The Thorn Wheel." Kurama added.

"If that fails." Hina kept going. Kurama twitched, clearly at a loss.

"...The... Seeds of Sorrow." Kurama seemed to pull that answer from thin air which did not satisfy Hina in the least.

"If that fails." Hina snapped.

"I give up!" Kurama threw his hands up into the air.

"You want your dick fried or deep fried!" Hina shouted, angrily. Kurama snorted.

"There's always The Black Rose, and if that doesn't effect her she's clearly out of my league." Kurama snapped.

"Good." Hina nodded. "Go get everything you need, right now."

"It's four in the morning-!"

"RIGHT NOW!" Hina shouted, Kurama backed up a little, slightly concerned before leaving the room. "Whose next?"

"I'll take the one who eats people." Hiei yawned as he said it.

"Mrs. Li." Hina corrected her son, "How will you defeat her?"

"Dragon." was all Hiei said. Mukuro grinned.

Hina rolled her eyes. "If that fails?"

"If that fails you won't have to cut off my dick because it'll be incinerated." Hiei joked. Mukuro snorted, holding it in.

"Then allow me to freeze it up!" Hina threatened, flaring up her ki so that the coffee in her cup turned solid with ice. she tipped her coffee cup upside down, showing them that nothing was spilling out. After a moment, a thick block of frozen coffee fell straight out of the cup, hitting the coffee table where it skittered. Silence.

"If that fails, get her again with the Dragon or Fists of the Mortal Flame." Hiei nodded at this.

"And then?" Hina asked.

"Sword of the Mortal Flame." Hiei shrugged.

"And then?" Hina kept going.

"Well I could always try out my new jagan, see how that goes." Hiei scratched his chin, uncaring.

"Refrain from that if at all possible. Something about this woman makes me feel... tense." Hina murmured, remembering the cannibal with great unease.

"I can take her." Hiei assured his mother.

"Alright, so you will take Mrs. Li and Kurama will take Taiko the Slit Mouthed Woman... That only leaves Kayako, Santi, and Aiko..." Hina counted them off on her fingers, looking at Yusuke, Genkai, and Kuwabara.

"I'll take Kayako." Yusuke shrugged.

"What's your plan?" Hina asked, with great expectations for the spirit detective.

"Beat her up and shoot her up."

Hina frowned, slightly taken aback, "You mean to tell me you have no plan?"

"Never needed one." Yusuke waved the idea off, as if it were foolish to even insist.

Hina blanched, unsure of what to say. Did she oppose this nonchalant way of battle? Or did she trust him, leaning upon his experience in hard fights before. She chewed on her lip before finally nodding, certain that he must have some idea of what he was doing. After all, he _was _Yusuke Urameshi.

"And you, Kuwabara?" Hina turned to the final contender. Kuwabara looked nervous, his eyes roaming from Yusuke on his left to Hiei on his right.

"Guess I'll take whoever is left." Kuwabara mumbled.

"Whoever is left?" Hina curled a lip, "Kuwabara..." she chided, "You have to take some pride in your battles."

"...I guess, Aiko, the man from hell." Kuwabara supplied, not meeting her eyes.

"Alright." Hina leaned back in her chair, "And what will you use against him?"

"I think I'll use my spirit sword." Kuwabara finished, though he did not sound too convinced.

"..You think?" Hina repeated, uneasy. Why was Kuwabara so worried? Was wasn't he speaking up?

"Yeah." Kuwabara sounded slightly embarrassed.

"Kuwabara, what types of fighting techniques do you use."

"My spirit sword."

"I understand that, Kuwabara." Hina cut across him, "I mean, what else."

Kuwabara blanched.

"... Street fighting?" He asked, his voice slightly higher than normal.

"Not really a technique." Hina murmured. What would Yukiei say if he heard such an answer?

"...It's all I have."

Hina stared at Kuwabara, ever the gentle giant. Kuwabara's normally cheerful face had fallen into a morose state, as if he was ashamed of his lack of skill range. Hina could understand why. Yusuke, Kurama, and Hiei were all extremely skilled fighters whose very lives depended upon their ability to adapt to each battle... to win each quest. Kuwabara was a student in High School. He'd never signed up for this.

"Well then." Hina pursed her lips, "We'll just have to help you along."

"Here." Kurama was back, and had multiple fruits and seeds in his hands that he was currently attempting to push into his hair. He gave Kuwabara one that looked like a blackened pear with spikes sticking out of it, "This is the Fruit of the Next Life. Eat it when you feel you have no strength left."

"...Thanks man." Kuwabara smiled bitterly as he tucked the tiny fruit into his pocket, looking forlorn.

Yusuke was fishing around in his own pocket, his tongue poking out between his teeth, "This is the ring that Botan gave to me!" Yusuke managed to retrieve what looked like a small golden band. "You know, it takes my spirit gun and makes it really powerful?"

"But how will it help me?" Kuwabara asked, fearful.

"Just wear it and give it a go!" Yusuke insisted cheerfully. Kuwabara stuck on the ring, wiggling his finger as if he expected a claw to grow out of his nail.

"Well?"

"I don't feel any different."

"Shit."

Yusuke shrugged. It was clear the ring had been the only thing he could spare.

"Wait."

Yusuke arched an eyebrow as did Hina. Kuwabara was forcing something, his entire left hand glowing a bright orange crackling aura. Hina reached forward, touching it with the barest of fingertips. It shocked her at once, nearly throwing her out of her chair! Hina gasped, righting herself at once despite the many helping hands that were offered.

"Holy crap!" Kuwabara yelped.

"That'll work." Genkai grinned.

_**(Scene Break) **_

"Girls, get up. Everyone get up."

Hina smiled at the difference. The girls were easier to rouse, save for Shizuru who refused to open the door.

"Shizuru." Hina knocked quickly on her door, finally resorting to hammering, "SHIZURU! GET UP!" Shizuru finally wrenched it open, a half lit cigarette between her teeth and bags under her eyes.

"What?" She demanded hotly.

"Get moving!" Hina demanded right back.

"Shit, woman! It's five in the morning!" Shizuru snarled.

"Oh you poor baby." Hina drawled sarcastically, pretending to look at an invisible watch on her hand, "I've been up for an hour and a half now. Get up and meet us in the lobby."

Shizuru groaned hotly, slamming the door. Hina could hear her cursing behind it.

Shizuru was not the only one who was in a foul mood. Hina knocked on Botan's door when the bubbly reaper did not open hers at once.

"I'm up." Came a weary voice, "I've been up."

Hina opened the door to see Botan sitting on the edge of her bed, still wearing the clothes she'd been wearing last night, her oar by her side. It was clear she'd just been traveling, Hina wondered to where.

"Are you alright?" Hina asked, sitting down on the bed next to Botan. Botan was the first person Hina had met when she'd been reincarnated. She felt a strange bond to the reaper.

"Koenma's in trouble." Botan sighed, sorrowfully.

"What do you mean?" Hina asked, her heart in her throat. Had Enma found out-?

"His father found out the soul vault was riffled." Botan explained, "He has no idea that you're alive, thank god." she added.

"What can we do to help?" Hina asked at once.

"Lay low." Botan advised, morosely, "Hard to do that when you're in the Semi Finals of the Dark Tournament with a maniac trying to force you to become his slave."

Hina frowned, rubbing Botan's back comfortingly.

"We're going down to the stadium before the crowd gets there." Hina explained. "So come on down with us."

Botan nodded to herself, following Hina out the door. Hina did not fail to notice that Botan wiped hasty tears from her eyes.

_**(Scene Break) **_

As the group piled into the elevator, everyone had to press up tightly to the wall to keep from having to make two trips. As the elevator dropped with a heart stopping speed, Mukuro gripped the rail so hard that the metal twisted in her grip. Hiei had to keep a hand on her back to keep her from falling over as the elevator screeched to a hault and the doors opened to the lobby. It was empty, save for the same slave girl who stood behind the front desk. She saw Hiei, nearly calling out to him as if she had something very important to say. As their group filed out of the elevator and made their way for the double glass doors, Hiei caught her eye... she seemed to be silently pleading with him.

"Hiei?" Mukuro asked. Hiei had stopped in his tracks, his eyes on the girl.

What did she know that they didn't?

"Go ahead." He urged Mukuro. Mukuro grimaced but did as he suggested, leaving him behind as the group made their way out of the lobby and onto the grassy knoll where fresh dew wetted their shoes.

Hiei walked up to the front desk, his eyes slitted with wary dislike.

"What?" He snapped.

"... I know why you're here." The girl whispered, leaning heavily on the counter, "And I know what he wants from you. There's something you should know. Something that might be able to help you."

Hiei was shocked. He had not expected to hear that.

"I'm listening." He warned, secretly unwilling to believe the demoness.

"The team... His team... They're not alive." The girl whispered low and fast so that Hiei had to strain to hear, "So they can't be killed. They're ghosts and they're all controlled by seals. The seals are somewhere on their body. You can hit them a billion times and it won't matter. Just get the seal, and they'll die without it. It's their life source." She explained.

"Why should I trust you?" Hiei drawled.

"I'm here against my will." The girl admitted ashamedly. "I was bought in a slave market. Maybe I want Tarukane to pay?"

Hiei snorted. She might be telling the truth. Then again, she might be lying. There was only one way to know for sure.

He turned away, not looking back even as she called his name.

If she _was _telling the truth, he'd soon find out.

_**(Scene End) **_

_**Well, I had to cut this chapter short, mainly because I kept getting comments from people asking when I was going to post this chapter. I want to make it clear, these chapters are long, thought out, and take time to post... I have to make sure that they do each person justice. Just because I don't update immediately doesn't mean that I won't be updating ever again... It just means that I'm really really busy paying bills and stuff like that. I have to deal with real life before I write about things that don't exist. So this is just part one of this chapter. Part two will come soon enough. Please be patient with me. **_

_**Read and Review! **_


	18. Shaken Up pt 2

_**As promised, here is Part Two of the last chapter. It will be slightly short, but the next chapter is going to be much longer as it will encompass the entire round for the Semi Finals, including the shocking end... Will Team Urameshi win the Semi Finals? Will Hina be reunited with Yukiei at last? Or will Tarukane's team win out... and force Team Urameshi to leave three of it's own members for dead... **_

_**(Scene Break) **_

"What was that about?" Mukuro snapped, as they entire group made their way thru the underground of the stadium. It was clear of visitors, even the guards had not risen yet, and in the silence there was an uncomfortable tension. Perhaps it was because they knew that today would be the deciding factor in their battle against Tarukane... perhaps it was because his team was ghoulish and gave them the creeps. Either way, there was a certain unease as the team passed thru the shadows of the blackened hallways.

"I got a tip off from a slave." Hiei explained, "Turns out our little ghoul friends have seals on their bodies that keep them alive. In order for us to win the matches, we have to find and destroy the seals on their body."

"Sounds simple." Kurama griped.

"Let's hope so." Hiei sighed as they finally made their entrance into their locker rooms. It would have been a soothing sight, had it not been for the package siting innocently on one of the benches. The entire group gawked in the doorway like a bunch of seagulls in search of bread.

"What the hell?"

"No one touch it." Yusuke advised at once. Everyone stared at it, pensive. Ever in touch with her star player, Hina stepped forward reaching for it's ribbons. Hiei halted her, touching it with the tip of his sword as if he thought it might explode.

"No charms, no detonators, just a box." Hiei muttered, his eyes slanted with suspicion.

"More than a box." Hina murmured. She opened it up as the group gathered round. Inside, amid gentle stuffing and puffed peanuts was a tape recorder... it's red light blinking.

"The red lights blinking." Kurama spoke up, picking it up, "It's got something on the tape wheel."

"Maybe..." Keiko spoke up, her big brown eyes full of fear, "Maybe if we all just listen and get it over with?"

"I suppose we might as well." Hina took the recorder from Kurama, "Though I have a feeling I know who it's from."

She clicked the 'play' button. Nothing happened.

"Let me see it." Kurama spoke up, taking it back. He rewound the tape, and there was a strange _shriiinking _noise. "Somethings definitely there." He turned up the volume all the way. "Everyone be very quiet." Silence fell and all the ears strained to hear.

And then...

"_...Hi...na..." _

"That's Yukiei!" Hina cried out at once.

"He's just trying to mess with our heads." Kurama spoke up, grimacing.

"Let me hear it again." Hina begged, rewinding it. She listened again.

"_...Hi...na..." _

"My god." Hina whispered, "I haven't heard that voice in over 600 years."

She looked at her daughter and her son in turn. Her daughter seemed thrilled, but Hiei did not seem to care in the slightest. Already pulling off his shirt and stuffing it in the locker, he pulled out his light blue tank top... It was covered in blood from the jagan bomb. He incinerated it with a click of his fingers. He pulled out a dark blue tank top.

"Do you want to hear it?" Hina offered as the boys began to get ready. The girls sat around, holding shirts and encouraging their team.

"No." Hiei grumbled, tightening his belts and flexing his ripped biceps.

"It's the voice of your father!" Hina was affronted. Mukuro watched from the wall, her one good eye flickering back and forth.

"So?" Hiei grumbled, putting his black cloak and white scarf away.

"I just thought you'd like to hear it." Hina murmured, holding the tape recorder in his hands.

"If everything goes our way I'll be hearing a lot of his voice. I don't need that kind of motive. I'm here to kill, not get involved emotionally." Hiei explained, a frown fixed on his face.

"I agree. You listen, you'll just get wound up. Probably what the fat pig wants." Mukuro added, nodding.

"I'm so scared that we're going to loose." Botan sighed, sitting on the bench with her head on her hands.

"If we do..." Yukina began to grow frightened, "We'll be taken." She looked from her mother to her brother.

"No you won't." Kurama shook his scarlet head, "If, by some strange accident, we do loose? I have a back up plan."

"What's that?" Kuwabara asked, stretching.

"Get the hell out of here, and kill everyone who gets in the way." Kurama added with a wicked grin. He tapped the scarf wrapped around his neck underneath which his wound pulsed angrily. Youko was growing strong again.

"I like that." Mukuro grinned, "Simple; Easy to remember."

"But what about us?" Keiko asked, fearful.

"Huh?" Yusuke asked.

"Well... Me and Shizuru... We don't have any powers. We're just humans." Keiko wrung her hands.

"You think we're going to let you get hurt?" Kurama asked, slightly taken aback.

"No, but-"

"You'll be fine." Yusuke cut across before Keiko could grow more anxious. "You got me here!" At this, he kissed her chastely on the forehead.

"That's right!" at this, Kuwabara's 'yukina' mode seemed to burst out like a flower in May, "Should we loose I swear to protect you, Yukina! I won't let anything happen to you!"

At this, Yukina hugged him tightly. "Kazuma," She sighed, "I'm so glad you're here..."

After a moment, there came a strange noise as Hiei breathed heavily thru his nose. Mukuro held back a laugh.

"Cut it out, Ni-san." Yukina warned, not letting go of Kazuma as she held him close.

"Cut what out." Hiei grumbled, muttering under his breath, "I'm not the one acting like a child."

"That's not what I heard." Yukina sing songed.

"What do you mean?" Hiei sneered, glaring over his shoulder.

"I know what you did last night." Yukina withdrew slightly from her hug, her red eyes full of fire just like her older brothers. For a moment, a slight silence fell as the team watched the siblings argue. Mukuro seemed slightly impressed.

"You've got good hearing." Mukuro grumbled.

"No, I was just wandering around." Yukina explained, "I was nervous about today and I couldn't sleep. And neither could you from the sound of things."

Everyone snickered. Hiei flushed slight crimson.

"...Hn..." Hiei ground his teeth.

"Concede defeat?" Yukina smirked.

"Shuttup." Hiei seethed, slamming his locker door closed.

"He likes it." Yukina grinned to herself, hugging Kazuma tighter still.

_**(Scene Break) **_

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!" Koto cried out as the crowd screamed and cheered, "WELCOME TO THE SEMI-FINALS!"

Up in the committees view, Tarukane sat in a plush leather chair, a glass of fresh scotch in one hand and an eighteen year old girl in another. Behind in, in the hands of several of his guards, his prisoner, limp from torture, sat watching.

"Enjoy the view, Yukiei... Who knows." Tarukane laughed, "You may be seeing a whole lot more of them."

Yukiei was a tall man, even with his back bent from pain. Dirty and sullen, Yukiei's face was like that of a poker champion. His eyes blood red, hooded and slanted, were fixed on the arena floor where the referee girl stood waving her arms.

Behind the Urameshi team door, the five team players stood waiting, tense and taut. Hiei gritted his teeth to keep from cursing aloud. He wanted to kill something. Right now. He didn't care what.

"We've got our backup plans." Yusuke was chanting under his breath, "We've got our supplies. This is in the bag! All we have to do is remain focused! Remain a team!"

Outside the gates, Hiei could hear Koto getting the crowd ready. Inside himself, a battle of wills was taking place. His pride versus his fear.

His fear won out.

"Wait."

The team stared at Hiei. "...If we loose...?"

"Don't talk like that-" Kurama started, but Hiei talked over them.

"Let me finish. If we loose, I want you to protect my mother and Yukina. Get them out. I'll take care of myself, and if I get captured that's my own misfortune. Yukina's suffered enough under Tarukane's hands, and I won't allow my mother to fall victim to his insanity. Let me take care of myself. Deal?" Hiei waited, tense.

"...Hiei..." Kuwabara frowned, "We're a team. We're not leaving without you."

"Don't be a dumb ass." Hiei growled. It was all he could say. "Let's get this over with. For better or for worse."

The doors were opening.

"ON THE LEFT! TEAM URAMESHI!" Screaming ensued as the doors spread wide.

"Holy crap! This place is packed!" Yusuke cried out. The stadium was on it's feet, screaming for blood. Little did they know they would more than receive it.

_**(In The Locker Room) **_

"It's so strange..." Keiko watched as Hina tried to configure the tv in the locker room, "being down here instead of in the stands. I've never been this close."

"We can't afford to be split up. Just in case." Hina muttered, restringing wires and using gauze from her bag to hold them together.

"Fair enough." Shizuru grumbled. Hina finally fixed up the tv, and the arena was shown. On the left hand side their team stood in a single line, looking like the first defense of a war squad.

In a way they were.

"I'm so nervous." Yukina twittered, "My heart is pounding."

"Don't be." Botan breathed deeply, "If I know our boys, we have nothing to fear."

"I hope so..." Keiko agreed sadly.

_**(In The Field) **_

"ON THE RIGHT! TEAM TARUKANE!" The crowd cheered and booed as the doors across the way reveal all five of the Tarukane team menacing and alive. Just like that time at the dinner table, the Tarukane team had a type of tunnel vision on the Urameshi team. It was as if the stadium did not exist, as if it was only five against five... arena be damned.

"Anyone else getting tense." Yusuke growled.

"My brain feels like it's been dipped in ice man... This isn't good." Kuwabara griped, swallowing thickly.

"Remain calm. We have nothing to fear." Kurama's face was withdrawn as if he were in a game of poker. Hiei did not know why, but he thought of Mukuro... thought of the way she looked when the moonlight ran across her skin.. the way blood dripped down her arms after a killing.

_**(In The Locker Room) **_

"They look tough, but Hiei can take them." Mukuro thought aloud.

"You think so?" Hina asked, re wrapping her gauze methodically.

"Oh yeah." Mukuro grinned evilly, "Which one is Mrs. Li?"

"The one in the middle." Hina pointed to the woman in the scarlet kimono with a painted face.

"Hmm..." Mukuro judged the woman up, "He can take her. If he can take Shigure, he can take her."

Shizuru shivered suddenly.

"What?" Mukuro snapped.

"I just feel cold." Shizuru whispered, "... Somethings not right."

"Don't say that, Shizuru." Botan bit her lip, "You're scaring me."

_**(In The Field) **_

"TEAM CAPTAINS TAKE TO THE FLOOR!" Koto cried out. As one, Mrs. Li and Yusuke made their way to the center of the arena. As he walked, Yusuke mentally prepped himself. He was a thug, he told himself. A true gangster. He needed to be in touch with his star player.

The pair of them squared off, with Koto in between them. Mrs. Li was a plump woman with a well painted face like a geisha. Her red kimono was well pressed, with gold and silver spirals. She might have been beautiful at once point... her blackened teeth threw it all off, sharp like little knives in her mouth.

"Well..." Mrs. Li grinned, her black teeth gleaming in the sunlight, "It seems the day of judgement has come. And don't you smell delicious?" Mrs. Li took a great obscene sniff. Yusuke hid his shiver well.

"Don't even go there, you're not fighting me." Yusuke rolled his eyes.

"Afraid already?" Mrs. Li laughed, "Goodness, what a coward."

"You're fighting Hiei." Yusuke snapped. "I'm taking Kayako."

Mrs. Li paused mid sneer.

"Afraid?" Yusuke grinned.

"Hardly." Mrs. Li's face fell, her eyes hooded.

"So these rounds will be set rounds?" Koto asked, her referee mode switched on.

"I'm taking Kayako." Yusuke repeated, "Kuwabara's taking Aiko. Kurama's taking Taiko the Slit Mouthed Woman. Hiei's taking Mrs. Li."

"And what about poor Santi?" Mrs. Li growled.

"Genkai." Yusuke shrugged.

"And he was expecting a challenge." Mrs. Li sneered. "Oh well... I suppose he'll have to wait until next round. After we beat you that is."

"Don't be so sure." Yusuke warned.

"Do you agree to the standards?" Koto asked.

"Yeah." Yusuke snapped, ready to get on with the fights.

"Certainly." Mrs. Li rolled her hips and puckered her lips, as if she were flirting with Yusuke.

"Then let the matches begin!" Koto cried out "FIRST UP!"

Yusuke looked over his shoulder but did not have to look far. Kurama, it seemed, was more than ready to take the challenge. He stood by Yusuke's side, slapping him on the shoulder warmly. Yusuke nodded.

Mrs. Li scoffed, rolling her eyes. She called out, her voice loud as Koto's

"TAIKO! YOU'VE GOT COMPANY!"

"Good luck." Yusuke murmured in Kurama's ear as he left his scarlet haired friend behind.

Kurama said nothing, his poker face in full swing. On the other side of the arena, Taiko's wild eyes were full of fire. She stumbled to the arena floor, swaying from side to side. Her scissors were in her hands. Her surgical mask was right over her mouth.

She twitched. She wanted his blood. Kurama could smell it.

"LET THE FIRST MATCH OF THE SEMI FINALS, KURAMA VS. TAIKO THE SLIT MOUTHED WOMAN! READY! BEGIN!"

_**(To be continued) **_

_**Alright... Now I have to make the next chapter which will be huge and full of shockers. So please be patient and get ready to have your minds blown... **_

_**It will be a chapter that will live in infamy and you will have to wait for it. **_


	19. The Seal of Four

_**Here we go. You all have waited a long time for this chapter... I know that you're ready to know how it's all going to fall out: will Tarukane capture Hiei, Yukina, and Hina? Or will Team Urameshi defeat Team Tarukane? Will Yukiei and Hina be reunited? Or will the family be torn apart forever...? Read to find out! **_

_**(Scene Break) **_

It was time.

Kurama paced back and forth as Taiko swayed like a menacing sumo wrestler, her white coat skirting and parting as she prowled.

"The seal..." Kurama whispered to himself, green eyes slanted in deep concentration as he searched Taiko out, "I need the seal... Where is it?" But before Kurama could get a good hold on Taiko she made a sharp turn to the left and utterly _vanished. _

"_Shit." _Kurama cussed, dodging and swirling around to see that Taiko had re appeared, getting extremely close to him. Kurama dodged again so that he and Taiko were like two swirling petals in the wind as he wrenched the death seed out of his fiery mane. Before she could stop him, Kurama planted the seed in her neck as he passed her, landing back on the arena floor with a loud _thump! _

"Boom goes the dynamite." Kurama grinned to himself. Taiko landed across the way from Kurama, a confused look on her face.

_Find the seal... Find the seal... _Kurama thought fiercely, using what time he had as The effects of the Death seed slowly began to eat at Taiko. She shivered, rolling her neck, and yet kept moving forward. "Great." Kurama growled, taking out his rose.

"THORN WHEEL!" It sprang open like a venus fly trap, and Kurama began to twirl. Around and around his head he lassoed the whip, hitting Taiko once, twice, three, _seven times! _It ripped the surgical mask right off of Taiko's face! Kurama gaped as, with many gasps of the audience, a terrible rip was shown. Right from ear to ear, it was as if Taiko had been slit with an enormous knife.

Of course, Taiko the Slit Mouthed Woman... They didn't call her that for nothing.

The slit let her mouth fall right open, so that deformed teeth and an enormous tongue could be shown. Kurama cringed, right up until he saw something gold peeking out in the corner of her mouth... the seal!

'_There it is!' , _Kurama thought _'But how am I going to get to it?' _

"Am...I...Pretty...?" Taiko whispered, without moving her mouth. Kurama said nothing, preparing to use the rose whip to try and rip off the seal from the corner of her mouth... but something was changing.

"Am I...Pretty..." Taiko's entire body was melting and boiling, as if she were hot wax. Kurama halted, waiting to see how his strategy would change. She was changing into another form, her limbs were growing shorter, she was shrinking in height. Her long jet black hair was slowly growing shorter-!

"TAIKO IS CHANGING SHAPE! BUT WHO IS THIS BEAUTIFUL WOMAN!"

"...No..."

Kurama gaped, horrified, unable to comprehend. It was Shiori. She'd _changed _into Shiori. But how did she know what Shiori even looked like? How did she know who Shiori was to Kurama?

"Shuichi..." Taiko whispered, her voice like Shiori's... she even _smelt _like Shiori and it unnerved Kurama so much that he stepped back. "Why did you lie to me? Why did you lie to your own mother?"

On the side lines, Yusuke could not keep quiet. After all, he'd seen how much Kurama loved Shiori. He'd seen how Kurama had almost given his life to the Forlorn Hope.

"Don't let her take advantage of you, Kurama! Keep your head in the game!" Yusuke screamed out.

"_It's unnerving to see Shiori in this setting. No. I mustn't let her see she's rattled me. I must fight!" _Kurama thought to himself. He surged forward, his rose whip in hand.

"Why Shuichi?" Taiko screamed out with Shiori's voice. Kurama did not care, he did not care! He could not care! He grabbed the corner of the seal but before he could rip it Taiko leered back with her enormous scissors! She stabbed him!

"Ah!" Kurama fell down, angry, seething with himself. _She means to carol me into getting too close... but I have to get close in order to get that seal! There must be a way forward! _

Taiko laughed aloud, her voice still that of Shiori's. Seeing Shiori laughing at him with blood on her hands, hearing her voice condemn him, it was worse than any stab wound. Kurama grimaced.

"I forgot to mention, I have a very special power..." Taiko sneered, with Shiori's voice, "You see, if you injure me in this form, it will do you no good. I remain physically unharmed... But Shiori will feel the pain. You wouldn't wish that on your mother, would you?" She laughed again.

"Damn you..." Kurama hissed. Taiko only laughed.

"What are you going to do, Kurama? Are you going to attack your own mother?" Shiori's voice rang in his ears, but it only got worse as Taiko began to shift again. "Or maybe someone else?"

Her skin was bubbling, her hair was growing. Her ears were getting pointier, and from her back... two beautiful black wings- _no! _Kurama felt fire racing in his blood as she turned into...

"Kuronue..." Kurama whispered.

"BOTH FIGHTERS ARE STANDING THERE LIKE THEY'RE ROOTED TO THE SPOT! WHO WILL MOVE?" Koto cried out.

It was with a terrible jolt in the pit of his stomach that Kurama heard Kuronue's voice for the first time in nearly six hundred years. Now he knew what Hina felt like listening to the recorder.

"Kurama..." Taiko whispered in Kuronue's form. She reached out to touch his cheek, hoping to get him to come close again, but Kurama wouldn't have it. Snapping out of his daze, he reached up in a flash and ripped the seal right off the corner of Taiko's mouth. She screamed out in pain, her ki crackling venomously as it subjected itself to the loss of power. She transformed back, unable to hold her energy!

"Damn you!" She shrieked. They began to battle, scissors on whip. The death seed that Kurama had planted earlier was beginning to finally take effect, and it showed as Taiko fell to the ground, vines crawling underneath her skin.

"How dare you!" Kurama roared, "How dare you take their shapes? You're not worthy to wipe the scum off of their boots!" He kicked her hard in the face, but Taiko grabbed his leg so that the pair of them crashed to the ground, whip and scissors forgotten. Battling hand on hand, they fought it out with vicious power, wanting nothing more than to crush one another, to watch one another bleed!

"BOTH FIGHTERS ARE DOWN! ONE! TWO! THREE! FOUR!" Koto cried out in fair warning. Kurama struggled to sit up, hitting and kicking as hard as he possibly could. But just when Kurama thought he was safe, Taiko snatched her scissors from the ground. She slashed and took a hard swipe out of Kurama's cheek, getting him from ear to nose! Kurama howled in pain and fury as blood flew everywhere, but managed to stay upright. Summoning the last of his ki, the death seed inside of Taiko burst forth, blooming into a thousand black roses. She was dead.

"TEN!" Koto screamed out, "AND BY DEATH, KURAMA TAKES THE POINT!"

Kurama clutched at his face as blood dripped down thru his hands. Yusuke was in the arena and by his side.

"Way to go man." Yusuke grinned, "Really awesome."

"Yes, it seems I'm not useless after all." Kurama whispered with a dry chuckle.

"Come on, man." Yusuke helped his old friend out of the ring. "You're done. You won the fight and that's all that matters, and Hina's going to be real happy with you. Your dick is safe!" Yusuke added in jest.

"I'll admit my genitalia was the last thing on my mind." Kurama whispered, thinking of how it had felt to see Shiori in the middle of the ring. It was like watching a nightmare unfold.

"Get out of here, man." Yusuke helped him off the side of the arena, turning around to grin at Koto venomously. "Looks like it's time for me to shine!"

"WITH URAMESHI IN THE RING, IT CAN ONLY MEAN THAT THE NEXT FIGHT IS ABOUT TO BEGIN! FACING OFF FROM TEAM TARUKANE-! KAYAKO!"

While Yusuke might have been proud and cocky, Kayako was utterly silent in her short stumble onto the arena floor. The enormous plant that was once Taiko slowly dissolved into a hissing puddle of acid, eating away at the stone until it disappeared entirely, leaving only the two fighters and Koto in between them.

"Hey bitch!" Yusuke cat called, "Get your hair out of your face! You look like a mop!"

Kayako made a strange croaking noise.

"Are both fighters ready?" Koto asked. With a firm nod, Yusuke bent his knees and cracked his knuckles. He was ready to pummel this freak into the dust. "LET THE SECOND ROUND OF THE SEMI FINALS... BEGIN!"

Yusuke charged forward, his spirit gun powering up to the tip of his finger. But just as he prepared to fire, Kayako vanished into thin air.

"What the fuck?" Yusuke snapped, slamming on the breaks and nearly falling over. He whipped around, looking for his opponent, but found nothing to greet him... Something had changed.

"KAYAKO HAS VANISHED FROM THE ARENA!" Koto cried out "BUT HER PRESENCE IS STILL HERE! WHAT CAN THIS MEAN FOR URAMESHI?"

Like an ominous wind blowing thru a desolate clearing, Yusuke felt a terrible shiver go up his spine. Overhead what once had been a clear sky was thick with blackening clouds. Thunder rumbled in them. Great shadows fell on the stands as Yusuke noticed a green tint to his surroundings. Something evil was in his presence... but where was Kayako.

"YUSUKE!" Hiei shouted "BEHIND YOU!"

But Yusuke did not stand a chance.

Without warning, Kayako re appeared like a monkey on his back, wrapping herself around him and grabbing tight to his skull with bone white fingers. She groaned in his ear, her throat clicking like a frog.

"SHIT!" Yusuke shouted, grabbing aimlessly as he tried to unhinge Kayako from his back. But he couldn't shake her! Kayako was slowly wrapping him up in enormous tendrils of long black hair that bound him from head to foot like a snake. Yusuke struggled, desperate to get free as Kayako drifted in her sea of hair, coming around the front so that she and Yusuke could stair eye to eye.

It was truely the most frightening thing Yusuke had ever experienced.

Unable to control his fear anymore, Yusuke fired his spirit gun, cutting thru the massive hair and knocking Kayako out of the arena so that she hit the opposite wall of the stands. For a minute he had the freedom to rip the hair off of him as Kayako vanished again, but he didn't have long to prepare. The stadium lights were flickering, as if something was cutting at their power source. The air was growing cold, and Yusuke shivered. Where was Kayako now?

"Oh man!" Koto cried out, clutching her microphone tight, "Somethings not right here! Goosebumps are crawling all over my arms and Kayako is no where to be found! What could this mean for our stadium?"

Shaking, Yusuke bent his knees, running his fingers thru his hair. The repetitive motion soothed him and he did it once again-

"WHAT THE FUCK?"

Another hand was sticking out of the back of his head! Yusuke panicked, ripping at the back of his hair as the hand groped, thick and sluggish, but as if it had only been a terrible nightmare, it vanished entirely! Yusuke balked. "WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?"

There came a deep clicking noise, as if someone was attempting to speak but could not get enough air. Over on the sidelines, Hiei, Kurama, Kuwabara, and Genkai were all waited with bated breath, shivering in the cold.

"Dude, this is creepy." Kuwabara whispered, shocked.

"Be quiet." Genkai snapped, her normally calm face pale and drawn.

Yusuke, still frightened by the feeling of a hand once sticking out of the back of his head, shook visibly, waiting for Kayako to re appear. The darkness of the shadows made the stadium look like nightfall, and Yusuke powered up his spirit gun to protect himself. The noise was growing louder, and out of the darkness, Yusuke saw something shift. Pointing his spirit gun, he waited as his heart hammered in his ribs.

Kayako surged at him.

Yusuke tried to fight her off, blasting the spirit gun, but it went straight thru her as if she were smoke, slamming into the wall where it exploded in a shower of fire and debris. The fans screamed as a few demons evaporated from the power of Yusuke's blow. Kayako launched herself onto Yusuke, binding him tight with her hair again. Her eyes wide, Yusuke could clearly see the golden seal sticking out of her eyeball. Yusuke fought with all his might, attempting to get a hand free so that he might be able to wrench out the seal from her socket. But she would not allow him! Her hair was as tight as rope, and Yusuke felt his throat beginning to constrict, unable to take proper breath.

"She'll suffocate him!" Kurama shouted, afraid.

Yusuke fought, petrified. He'd never thought he could fear an enemy like this. He did not fear Kayako as he had feared Toguro or Sensui. He feared her like he'd feared the dark when he was a little boy. Like he'd feared the bogey man, or ghosts in an attic. He feared her like he feared all things haunted, and he was certain she knew that. The thought made his blood boil. He, Yusuke Urameshi, would not be taken for a child! Unable to resist, he dug his fingers into her eye socket, a sickening sensation burning in the pit of his stomach as her blood spilled all over his hands. He ripped her eye right out, and the seal came with it. She screamed, crawling backwards on herself like a strange contortionist, her head touching the floor as her back bowed, her hair wrapping around her like a cocoon... She shriveled into a pile of blackened goo that fell to the floor in a puddle of ugly black hair.

"AND BY TOTAL GROSS DEFEAT, YUSUKE TAKES THE POINT!" Koto cried out, and the cheers of the crowd filled the air. This was what they loved to see. This was what they needed to see... blood, screams, and ugly death. Yusuke stumbled backward, Kayako's eye still squished in the palm of his hand. Upon opening it and seeing it's mushed form, he felt a nauseous urge roll thru him like a horrible wave. He vomited.

"Yusuke!"

There were hands on the back of his neck. Yusuke blinked thru the sweat around his eyes to see Genkai scrutinizing his pale and clammy face.

"... That's one for the team, yeah...?" Yusuke whispered.

"Idiot." Genkai muttered warmly, tussling his hair, "Showed them, didn't you?"

Yusuke offered her the eyeball in his hand. Genkai wiped it out of his palm so that it fell to the grass. It would take a while, but he would recover from the emotional and mental distress of this battle... Genkai would make sure of it.

"WOW FOLKS! What a strange and freaky match! I was creeped out, to say the least! But now we have an even more interesting set up! The oldest and the youngest competitor! Who knows how this will go down?"

Genkai looked up to see that Santi had taken the ring, his black eyes locked onto Genkai. She rose, pursing her lips at the young boy.

_I have barely any energy left... this chid has none. He's hiding something. _Genkai thought to herself. Helping Yusuke to sit down on the edge of the ring so that Kurama and Hiei could tend to him, she climbed up.

"Genkai!" She turned around to see Hiei calling out to her. She raised a greying eyebrow. "... Win this one... and we're free." Hiei begged her. "Win this one for Yukina and Hina. Please."

Genkai gave one short nod before continuing into the ring where Koto and Santi waited for her.

"Are you ready young man?" Genkai asked Santi. His only reply was a sharp sigh, that seemed to be the only sound he could make. Genkai wondered if he was a mute.

"Then lets go." She agreed.

"LET THE THIRD MATCH OF THE SEMI FINALS... BEGIN!" Koto cried out. Genkai did not waste any time.

She surged forward, her hands full of fiery ki, she pelted right at him, but Santi did not move. Slamming on the breaks, she halted so that dust, dirt, and pebbles of concrete slid everywhere. She and Santi were so close they might have touched noses.

_He didn't flinch. _Genkai thought, mildly impressed.

Santi sighed again, but this time he rolled his neck and allowed his eyes to move up into his head. Water began to pour out of his shoes. Genkai jumped back several feet, but the water kept coming in an enormous wave as if someone had turned on a faucet. Genkai knew that whatever the boy harnessed would be found in the water, so she avoided stepping in it for as long as she could. But the water just poured until it crashed over the sides of the arena, soaking her shoes and Koto's as well.

"WHAT'S THIS?" Koto cried out "WATER IS POURING OUT OF SANTI! I'M GETTING SOAKED!"

Genkai dodged the water till she could dodge no longer. She was trapped. She turned around to see that Santi had slid right behind her, with gold bricks in his hands. He dropped them into the water with a great splash, and they summoned themselves to Genkai like seals. She could not break them off! They were unbearably heavy, so much so that Genkai could not budge from her spot. Santi was raising the water, spiraling it in a whirl pool. Before Genkai could get in a good breath of air, it crashed down on top of her, drowning her. Genkai struggled, unable to breath as the gold bricks held her down! She tried to push Santi's power back to him, but realized very quickly that it would be to no effect considering he was dead. He need a pulse for that particular trick to work. The seals, Genkai saw, were on both bricks, but Genkai couldn't moved her hands to tear them off. In an desperate attempt to get away from the water and gain fresh air, she exploded her ki all around her. The water evaporated in a flash.

Gasping, Genkai fell to the ground, choking to get in fresh air.

"GENKAI IS DOWN! I'LL START THE COUNT! ONE! TWO! THREE!" Koto cried out.

"Come on, Genkai!" Yusuke shouted, "Come on!"

"FOUR! FIVE! SIX!"

Genkai was on her feet again, angry. She surged forward, this time not stopping as she slammed right into Santi, punching and kicking in a whirlwind speed so that Santi was blasted out of the arena and slammed into the wall where he crumpled to the ground. But he merely rose up as if something had happened and walked back to the arena, wind and thunder at his back. The clouds above them were crackling with lightning.

Santi, it seemed, was no longer in the mood to play. Genkai prepared herself for the next attack, her fists up. True, she could not move very fast because of the bricks attached to her legs, but she could still punch a tooth out.

But something was occurring far beyond the idea of teeth and punches. Santi raised his hands to the heavens, so that lightning illuminated something enormous in the clouds. Genkai strained to see as she prepared to shield herself from a possible lightening strike.

"...Bomb..." Santi whispered.

Genkai stood utterly no chance. The wind whistled and howled as something enormous and black dropped out of the sky, slamming into the earth and right on top of Genkai. It was a bomb shell, literally.

"Oh my goodness! all our listeners better get to a tv quick! Santi has produced a bomb out of thin air! Now Genkai is on the floor! It appears she's been knocked out!" Koto cried out, and indeed Genkai did not stir from beneath the bomb wreckage.

"I'm going in there!" Yusuke shouted, rising to his feet.

"There's nothing you can do!" Kurama shouted, holding him back.

"Kurama's right!" Kuwabara cried out, "You can't interfere man it's against the rules!"

"The hell I can't!" Yusuke seethed, afraid for his teachers life.

"Come on, Come on..." Hiei hissed under his breath, using his jagan to probe at Genkai's open mind.

_Genkai... Genkai get up... _Hiei whispered to her mentally.

_Dimwit. _

"EIGHT! NINE!"

Wild hot pink power was swirling around Genkai, cupping the water like a beautiful fluorescent bowl as it hoisted Genkai into the air. Hiei cheered inwardly, his heart pounding as he saw Genkai ball up, slip free from the bomb, and then-!

BOOM!

Water, bomb fragment, and concrete went flying as Genkai summoned enough energy to level a parking deck. Santi was blasted off his feet, right into the stands were he crashed amongst a crowd of rowdy demons. In a single bound, Genkai used her last reserve of power and ripped the two seals right off the breaks. There came an ear splitting scream as Santi caught on fire mid fall, before slamming into the crowd were he smoldered amidst a gaggle of screaming demons.

"HOLY COW! IN A WILD TWIST OF EVENTS SANTI HAS SOMEHOW BEEN DEFEATED! GENKAI IS THE WINNER!" Koto screamed out, hoisting Genkai's hand into the air.

_**(In The Locker Room) **_

"She won?" Yukina cried out, "SHE WON?"

"But that means..." Hina whispered, clutching her mouth, "That means we're moving on!" Hina began to scream for joy, leaping about as she held her daughter tight, "WE DID IT! WE DID IT!"

They could not resist themselves. The girls rushed out onto the field to congratulate their team. Upon opening the doors to the arena floor, Genkai rejoined them fresh from her bone breaking battle. Screaming and jumping abounded as Kuwabara swept Yukina up into his strong arms, spinning her around.

"WOOOHOOO!" Kuwabara cheered out, twirling her in tight circles.

Hiei laughed out loud, embracing Mukuro warmly as the pair held each other tight.

"And you didn't even have to fight." Mukuro snickered into the crook of his neck.

"OH MY BUT WHOSE THIS?"

Hiei paused, looking around. Koto was pointing with her microphone laden hand to the side of the arena, where the Tarukane Team (or what remained of them) had parted to allow someone to come thru. What Hiei saw next made his heart run icy cold with horror.

Tarukane took the stage, an enormous seal with a thick black aura that popped and crackled in his hands.

"This isn't good." Kurama whispered, stepping in front of Hina.

"Remember, we're a team." Yusuke muttered under his breath, "He can't split us-"

"Yusuke!" Kurama sucked in a breath, his green eyes wide, "Yusuke, that seal in his hands! Thats... That's the seal of four!"

"The seal of four?" Yusuke asked, puzzled.

"The darkest seal in all of spirit world... It not only traps it's victims... it holds their soul hostage." Genkai whispered. Hiei blocked his sister from view, his sword out in a flash.

Tarukane smiled evily at them, taking Koto's microphone without permission.

"As head of the commitee for this fine tournament, I'd like to personally congradulate each of the fighters for the Urameshi team for their excellent use of skill and courage to defeat their opponents." Tarukane laughed, "However, I've come to take what's mine."

And then, holding the seal of four high, he crooked his fingers.

It was like an enormous invisible beast had gripped Hiei, Hina, and Yukina in it's claws, snatching them up and pulling them out of the arms of their friends and lovers as they were all jerked onto the arena floor, crying out in pain.

"WHAT'S GOING ON HERE? WE HAVE MATCHES TO- AHH!" Koto tried to interfere, but Tarukane turned on her, taking her microphone and hitting her hard over the head. It drew blood and Koto crashed to the ground, unconscious.

"NO!" Yusuke screamed out, fighting to get onstage. But a massive invisible barrier of terrible energy held him back.

"WE HAD A DEAL!" Kurama shouted, fire in his veins as he fought tooth and nail to break the barrier. He had to get thru. He _had _to! He'd made a promise!... But that promise hadn't involved the seal of four... Kurama felt something horrible twist in his gut as he watched Hiei, Hina, and Yukina slowly being pulled closer and closer to Tarukane, unable to break away! Unable to even grab at one another for support or comfort!

"You forget boys! You made a deal with the devil!" Tarukane cackled maniacally, almost screaming as the windows of heaven opened with hot lightening that flashed and exploded overhead. The wind was unbearable, blowing everyone back and forth as Tarukane snapped his fingers, with the power of the seal of four. Enormous chains feel from the sky, wrapping themselves tight around Hiei, Yukina and Hina, all three of whom screamed out from pain under it's extreme weight. They could not get free! They were bound by their energy! By their very lives!

"I've waited a long time for this day... I'm so glad it's finally here." Tarukane hissed.

In a last minute desperation, Hiei cast a glance over his shoulder, locking eyes with Mukuro who banged and hammered on the invisible barrier with all her might. Hiei mouthed something to her, something that she could not fully grasp. But just as she was about to scream out for his release on pending death, a large bolt of lightning shot down from the sky and struck the chains that held Hina, Yukina, and Hiei tight. Their screams rang in the ears of their teammates as, with a terrible white flash, they evaporated! The force of the strike blew the ring half apart... as Hina, Yukina, and Hiei disappeared...

As if they had never existed at all... Tarukane melted into thin air, the seal crackling venomously as it finally disappeared into wind... leaving nothing but a terrible void darkness...

If one listened, they could hear screams on the wind.

_**(End Scene) **_

_**Surprise. **_

_**We're nearly done with the 2/3rds mark... two chapters from now we'll be 2/3rds done. **_

_**Hina, Hiei, and Yukina have been captured by Tarukane after a devious trick from the shady criminal. Where have they been taken to by the flash of lightning? What torture and pain await them there? Will Yusuke and the team be able to find them again, or will their three companions be lost on the winds forever... **_

_**Will Yukiei be able to save his family from the hands of a madman? Or will their lives be tossed forever on an uncharted sea...? **_

_**Please Review. **_


	20. Fool On Fire

_**Thank you for holding out for me. After these next two chapters, we'll be 2/3rds done. I believe thoroughly that those who have hung onto this story this long are in for great surprises. Thanks for all the support! I already have a sequel in the works! There is a warning: This chapter involves scenes of torture, non consensual sex, and ass kicking that has been LONG overdue. **_

_**(Scene Break) **_

He was strapped to the chair, his feet and arms tied down with thick leather chords that made his wrists and ankles bloodless. He did not know how long he'd been sitting there, without food or water, without sunlight or knowledge of time. All he knew was that there was pain, intense pain from his forehead where a ward had been pasted tight over his jagan.

Hiei swallowed spit, the only way he could keep hydrated, and prayed that his mother and sister weren't in pain.

"I've waited a long time to see you here."

Hot breath hit the nape of his neck as Tarukane leaned over him, nudging him almost lovingly with his squashed tomato nose. "I wonder what it will take to make you cry. Cry for me."

Hiei said nothing. Tarukane sighed, pulling away. Hiei heard something metal rattle on a tray, and tried to jerk his head to look around. It was fruitless. Tarukane chuckled, walking around and moving into the dim light of the torture chamber. He held something in his hands. Hiei realized it to be a torture instrument. A strange claw like object. Tarukane held it tenderly in both hands, before rearing back and slashing Hiei tight across the chest. Hiei seized in a breath, concealing his pain. "...Let's have some fun."

Tarukane paced back and forth as he held the whip in both hands, "I know so little about you! I long to know more, but how to do it? I have a game in mind. We'll start off with little questions... I may find it very hard to believe you. We'll go to deeper questions, and I'll start to listen a little bit more... finally, I'm going to ask you things from the heart, and I have a feeling by that time I'll be able to believe every word you say..."

With that, Tarukane slowly began to drag the whip tight across Hiei's chest, till thin red lines began to trickle down.

_**(Back in the Hotel) **_

Yusuke didn't know what was worse, Kuwabara or Mukuro. Kuwabara at least was talking, where as Mukuro was just plain frightening. She refused to speak. It was past noon, but no one had slept. No one had eaten. The entire Urameshi team was in an uproar as they tore thru the hotel, attempting to find any link to their missing companions. But it was as if the earth had swallowed them up!

"WHERE THE FUCK ARE THEY?" Kuwabara screamed, tearing out into the grounds, as he gripped at his hair like a mad man.

"I don't know, but shouting will not help the matter!" Kurama chased off after Kuwabara, as did many other members of the team. They were a sight to behold, squabbling on the front lawn.

"WE HAD A DEAL!" Kuwabara screamed, " WE HAD A DEAL AND HE BROKE HIS WORD!"

"Can you expect any less, the guys a jackass!" Yusuke shouted, trying to calm down his taller friend. But Kuwabara was inconsolable.

"WHAT DO WE DO?" Kuwabara wailed, crashing to his knees.

"We stop shouting for one!" Genkai was hot on their tails, snapping at them like an angry dog. "We're no longer safe here. I advise we get everyone who can't defend themselves out, and then we take out this fat fuck! I'm sick of waiting on the sidelines and because of your inability to take action now Hiei is going to suffer the consequences! No more putting off the end! Tarukane must die!"

"But Koenma-!" Botan cried out.

"Koenma and his father can bow at my feet!"

The team looked around to see Mukuro, glowing with a hot fury. Her hands were balled into fists, her rage was omnipotent. Botan quailed, quickly taking refuge behind Kurama before she was subjected to the demoness' high irrationality. "Do you think I am some harmless woman who waits for her man?" Mukuro shouted, a hot crackle of electricity slicing thru the air around her. The air felt incredibly thick and still. "Do you have any idea who you are _dealing with?" _

Silence fell.

"Hiei will stand fine, and Yukina will not break." Mukuro growled. "Hina... Hina just might."

"...What do we do?" Botan whispered, her fingers upon her pouting mouth.

"I have a plan."

_**(Far Away) **_

In a different room, not too far down the wing, Tarukane's heart was pounded feverishly. He'd desired this more than any other... Oh how he'd longed to feel her supple sweet flesh beneath his hands... her creamy mounds, her rosy tips. She was a beauty. An icy cold broad.

"It's been a long time baby..." Tarukane whispered, holding her tight. The wench refused to speak, her ruby eyes solemn.

"Still a frigid little bitch?" Tarukane asked. She said nothing. Enraged, Tarukane slapped her hard across the face. "You were a fool to think you'd ever escape! You belong to me!"

Yukina spit in Tarukane's face. Tarukane slowly wiped the spit from his cheek, his fury growing. Snapping his fingers, he heard the door open and close behind him and knew that his boys had come. Unlike last time he would not wait for two strangers to steal his fortune. He'd use boys, not men. Boys who had weakness and who desired one thing only.

"Boys..."Tarukane stood up, glaring down at his fated friend, "This is our guest, Yukina. As you can see, she's a little out of sorts. Maybe you could make her feel more... comfortable." Tarukane grinned savagely. Yukina's fear was insatiable as she whipped around, pinched tight in her bindings, terrified of the four men approaching her, greedy looks upon their smug faces. They descended upon her like jackals, laughing and cackling as she screamed and tore at their clothes, desperate to get away. But it was pointless. She couldn't kick once they'd spurned her legs open. She couldn't scream once they'd put rags in her mouth. Tarukane was certain he was going to hell, but he'd be young and lusty amongst the roaring dead.

He left her there, her muffled crying echoing all down the hallway.

_**(Scene Break) **_

"Are you sure this will work?" Botan pleaded. It had taken them a good thirty six hours to pack up and run away. After gathering their belongings from their rooms, the Urameshi team had had to sneak away from Hanging Neck Island in the dead of night, taking extra precaution to not trip the newfound security measures. By tipping off the ferry boat, they'd managed to sneak on board, taking the boat back to the mainland where they had had to pay even more to rent a greyhound bus back to the city. By the time they'd arrived home, they were exhausted, in need of a thorough re-grouping. Genkai had allowed them all temporary rooms in her dojo, so that they could stay together and work out the mystery that was Tarukane, Hina, Hiei, and Yukina's where abouts. Mukuro had instantly ruled out Hanging Neck Island. It was too overcrowded, with camera's everywhere. If Tarukane had managed to slip away, he would have been instantly spotted. He was, after all, the richest man on the island. Genkai had also ruled out the massive Island, stating simply that by using the Seal of Four, Tarukane had intended to travel far away, somewhere that he probably already knew. The Seal of Four was a massively powerful object. He wouldn't have used it just to a basement. No... Tarukane was somewhere he thought was safe. Somewhere he knew well enough to plot out torture without fear of retribution.

Kuwabara could think of only one place.

"Puu will be a perfect get away tool." Genkai murmured, stroking the fine beast's head as they slowly flew over the gorgeous green mountains.

"Once I let the Mazoku within me loose, I don't know how long I'll be in control." Yusuke pondered.

"You're not the only one." Kurama added, worriedly.

"We have no choice." Kuwabara snapped. "We have to get them back! We..." His voice trailed away, his eyes dark with heavy and hurting thoughts, "...We have to."

"And Yukiei if we can manage it." Botan added, optimistically.

"What if we can't?"

The question hung heavy in the air. What should they do if they were faced with the hard decision of Hina or Yukiei? Should they save Yukiei, a man who had never asked for any of this, or Hina a woman who had already suffered enough as it was?

"You think they'll be there?" Botan asked quietly, looking out to the abandoned mansion nestled deep in the mountains. It had not changed a bit, it was just as ominous and evil as it had been when Yusuke and Kuwabara had first entered there, in search of Yukina.

"Oh they'll be there alright." Kuwabara growled, thinking of the horrible prison Yukina had been forced to endure.

The three men waited, Botan and Genkai leading the way upon Pu's mighty back. He gave a great cry into the sky, which echoed on the mountains around them.

_**(Scene Break) **_

Tarukane knew that this visit was to be the most important... the most influential. She was the key to the door. She was the answer to the riddle. If he could sway her... he could change everything.

"So. Hina. Where to begin with you." Tarukane leaned over his perfect bride, caressing her lovingly. He'd strapped her tight to the torture table the moment she'd arrived. She'd kicked and screamed the entire way, shouting curses and swearing vengeance the moment she was free. But by the time Tarukane had strapped her legs and arms tight to the table, and forced her chin closed, Hina had quieted down. Now... Now she was back to shouting again.

"Where are my children?" Hina screamed out, "Where is my husband?"

Tarukane rolled his beady eyes, "All in good time, baby." He promised, "Right now it's just you and me." He stroked her thigh lovingly. Hina tried to kick away but she was strapped to tight to the table.

"How dare you put your hands on me?" She shrieked, furious, "I'll have you know I'm not a common whore like the others!"

"That's alright." Tarukane laughed, "I'm getting everything I need from your daughter. Why bother with an old hag like you." With that, Tarukane slapped Hina's upper thigh.

Hina paused, her scarlet eyes flashing dangerously, "You... You touched my daughter?"

"Touched is such a lame word." Tarukane shook his head, "Fucked? That's more like it." He burst into hysterical laughter but soon stopped as Hina let out an ungodly scream of fury. He backed away from the table, slightly nervous as the outraged koorime attempted to struggle her way to freedom. With a snap of his fingers, guards poured into the room, holding her down to keep her from thrashing too hard at her constraints.

"You pig!" She screamed, her blue hair all over her face as she screamed and kicked, her legs finally free at last, "You swine! Bastard! Shameless thief! Shitbag! Spawn of Satan!"

"Oh Hina..." Tarukane gave a nervous laugh, "You don't scare me." It was a lie. "Strap her legs."

The guards were quick to their orders, taping Hina's legs tight together so that her feet were flat on the table, her legs in a lewd position.

"Unhand me!" Hina screamed out, "Unhand me you BASTARD!"

"Here's the deal, sweet cheeks." Tarukane leaned forward, so that he was positioned between Hina's legs, his hands on the either side of her waist, "I want hirosekes. Lots of them. Right now I have three people that can make them... I want more. And you're going to give them to me."

"What do you mean?" Hina demanded. she was unable to keep the edge of fear out of her voice.

"You've born children before. This time will be no different."

"W-what?" Hina shrieked, trying to get away. But it was fruitless, Tarukane was already to close! Hina heard the zipper pull before she felt something hot between her legs. She screamed and screamed till her voice cracked, screamed as loud as she could to block out the feelings of _him _inside of her, the sensation of _him _stretching her and filling her, the devil incarnate.

She would scream all thru the night, and well into the next morning.

_**(Scene Break) **_

Tarukane had had a very long eventful day. That much could not be denied. But for all his hard work, he'd not gained a single stone. A shame to be sure. One that he would soon rectify. Sitting in his most comfortable chair, he dwelled over his problem with a fine persian cigar, sipping a well mulled scotch in his free hand. He listened to fine music, Moonlight Sonata by Ludwig van Beethoven. He titled his blading head to the side, his beady eyes sliding to the corner where his prisoner stared sorrowfully into the fires at Tarukane's feet. Yukiei, for all of Tarukane's kindness, had been yet to show one smile. What would it take to make this bastard happy? Tarukane had all but given him his family back! What a way to show his gratitude.

"... Would you like to see her?" To this, Yukiei said nothing at first.

"You know I want to." Yukiei murmured, "That's precisely why you won't allow me to."

"...Maybe, maybe not." Tarukane grinned slyly, "That all depends."

Yukiei did not take his eyes off the fire. It seemed to sooth him. "What do you want?"

"Hiroseke's." Tarukane stated, "I haven't gotten one. A total day wasted. Get me a hiroseke, and I'll let you be with your wife. Get me more... I'll deliver you to your children."

Yukiei turned his head away, looking out at the barred window beyond which a beautiful full moon glowed. "...What I do, I do for my family."

"Whatever helps you sleep at night." Tarukane chuckled darkly. For all his quirks, Yukiei would make a fine soldier one day. Tarukane decided in that moment he would beat Yukiei into submission, and then he would use him to slaughter his own family. That ought to teach that ungrateful bitch Yukina a lesson. Yes... Tarukane grinned. His morals were well placed: Honor thy mother and father.

The very next day, Tarukane and Yukiei stood outside Hina's cell door. Heavily padded, Tarukane ordered a few of his thugs to unlock the multiple clenches, a thick hand on Yukiei's chest to keep him from moving too soon. The fire demon showed no emotion. It was as if he was not about to be reunited with his wife. What was he thinking? Frankly, Tarukane didn't care. So long as his thinking got Tarukane money... it would do just fine.

Inside her cell, Hina sweated feverishly as pain gripped her stomach. Though she could not see, for being strapped to the table, blood dripped from between the apex of her thighs, off the edge of the table, and onto the floor. All morning she'd be nauseous, dry heaving on an empty stomach. She wondered if she was pregnant.

The thought made her innards turn to ice.

She heard several locks slide on her cell, and she immediately grew numb, withdrawing from all emotion. She would not cry. She would not think. She would not listen. Regardless who touched her, no matter what they said... she would not subject herself to the aching.

Tarukane stopped Yukiei with a firm hand before he walked into the gloom.

"...Get me a hiroseke, Yukiei. Or you'll never see your wife again after this." Tarukane hissed his threat.

"Just let me in." It was not an order. It was a beg.

They slid the final lock open. Yukiei felt himself break his control, pushing the door open long before the guards moved to let it swing. The sight that befell his eyes was one that he would remember for the rest of his life. One that would haunt his dreams, and flash before his eyes upon the moment of his death.

_It was her. _

Yukiei could hardly believe his eyes as he slowly crept forward, his frightening still. Upon a terrible bloody table lay the only angel the world had ever known... the only good in men that was left in a vast and blank universe. With feet that were heavy with guilt... back aching under the burden of living without love for so long, Yukiei crept forward.

One beam of fluroscent light illuminated her perfect face. Flawless even now in age. Cheeks bones sunken in from lack of food and hydration. Eyes sunken in from torture and fear. Aqua hair, slowly graying from sorrow... But what shocked Yukiei to the core, what numbed him to the utter depths of his soul were her eyes.

They were blank and lifeless. It was as if she were already dead. As if he were staring at her from a coffin side.

"...Hina..."

Yukiei lost all control, tearing up the straps that held down her legs, arms, chest, and face. He ripped them up, gathering her in his arms as the blood from between her legs soaked his thigh. He cradled her to his chest, a grown man utterly lost like a little boy. He cried out, gasping for air as his lungs tried to protest what only his inner soul could scream. He could not express his loss. He could not explain his grief. It was beyond words. Beyond comprehension. It was misery.. Utter black misery. Yukiei let out a howl like a wounded animal, holding Hina as tight as he could to his body, trying to warm her up, trying to gather hope. It was impossible.

"Hina...Hina...Hina...Hina answer me..." Yukiei howled, gripping her so tight that it might have left bruises. But she said nothing. Spoke nothing. She was a shell.

"Please baby... Answer me... Answer me..."

Nothing.

"Hina... My beautiful Hina... My perfect Hina..."

Yukiei did not know how long he sat there, holding his wife to his chest. Who did he cry for? Did he cry for Hina who had suffered at the hands of the devil? Did he cry for himself? For his misery at being alone without the woman he loved? Or perhaps he cried for the world... for how could the world be whole without Hina in it?

"Hina..." Yukiei's face was screwed up with utter agony. Surely death would be nothing compared to this. "Hina... please..."

He could not stand her silence. He shook her, desperate to make her speak. But Hina's sightless eyes did not shift.

_clink _

Yukiei shifted, as something hard and tiny dropped to the floor. As gently as he could, he lay Hina back down on the table, looking over the edge to see that a black marble had landed in the middle of her blood. With trembling white hands, Yukiei picked it up, holding it up to the light... was it... could it be... a hiroseke? But it was black? And a strange warmth was coming from it. Yukiei could not grasp it's significance, and wondered if Hina had made it. No... This did not have her signature. This felt... masculine.

"Baby, what is this?" Yukiei whispered. Hina said nothing. Yukiei stood there for a long while, Hina's blood soaking the bottom of his feet. He tucked the black marble deep into his pockets.

He could not hide from his misery, even with a slight distraction, or a beautiful release that the marble offered. Empty, and broken hearted, Yukiei gathered Hina in his arms, crashing to the floor were the blood soaked their clothes. He wanted nothing more than to run away from this wretched place. To run and run until there was nothing more to run from. he wanted to embrace her in a warm and bright place. WAnted to kiss her and lift her up high just as they used to do. He would have given the very last breath in his body to see her smile again. The watch her hair swift back and forth as she ran. He tried to find the strength to go on in the cold. But there was no point in living in a world without her in it. There was no point in speaking without her lips to kiss. No point of seeing without her eyes to see into.

Madness. He had found the definition of madness.

It had brought him to his knees.

_**(Some time later) **_

After what fell like an age and a half, the door opened again and Tarukane broke into a grin as Yukiei handed him over a hiroseke. Tarukane hardly noticed the dark look in Yukiei's eyes that would have scared any man senseless. He did not care that Yukiei's clothes were soaked in his wife's blood. that his jaw was set as if in iron.

He did not notice Yukiei had shifted from a prisoner without purpose to a husband with hatred. It would be his undoing.

"You did good!" Tarukane laughed, overjoyed as he rolled the precious stone in between his fingers. What he did not know was that Hina had never wept. That the stone he held between his greedy hands was the stone Hina had given to Yukiei upon their wedding day. It was a stone more precious to Yukiei than any other in the world... one that he intended to pry from Tarukane's cold dead hands. "Look at that, the first of many! And this one looks pure too!... You've earned a reward. But only one. Which one do you want to see. Your son or you daughter."

"I refuse to choose." Yukiei hissed.

Tarukane leered, a little taken aback by Yukiei's tone. He'd been practically monotone the entire time he'd known Yukiei. Now...?

_I want a good reaction, but I need a black bomb... If he goes to the boy, maybe I'll get a father son reunion. Maybe I'll get a jackpot! _Tarukane thought. He grinned savagely.

"Take him to the back." He ordered his guards. Yukiei was man handled sternly to walk down the hallway. Tarukane watched him go, clutching the hiroseke with selfish hands.

Yukiei walked down the hallway, his mind a blank. He wondered to whom he would visit first. His daughter or his son. What if it was his daughter? Yukiei imagined what she might look like. The most beautiful girl in the entire world, no doubt. He felt a swell of affection and love unlike any other he'd felt before, one that seemed to fill him with golden hope all the way down to the tips of his toes.

... She would be perfect to the bone. Without a single bit of hatred. She would smile, and dance, and play in the rain. She would be innocent and gentle. She would never know blood. As the daughter of a samurai, she would have the best in life. Yukiei swore inwardly that, no matter what it took, he would break his daughter out of this prison, and would see her wear the finest clothes, dance with the best of men, and live a happy life.

Even if it cost him everything.

But what if... what if they showed him his son instead?

Yukiei's heart filled with another emotion. One of deep longing and greatest remorse that he could not express with words. His son would be strong, tall, and handsome. He would fight, and he would win. He would be skilled, he would be honorable, he would be gentle. Yukiei hated himself for nothing having been there thru out his sons life. He should have been there to see his son's first steps. To hear his first word. He should have shown him how to hunt, how to ride a horse, how to swing a sword. He should have been able to show him the world, and how perfect it could be if one lived in harmony with the universe. But he'd been wrenched away from his son before he could even plant a third kiss upon his tiny brow.

The only sight of his son he'd ever been shown had been the very first sight in the world. Fresh from his mother's womb, Yukiei had lifted him to his chest, caressing him and kissing him even as he screamed and sucked in air for the first time.

That moment had change Yukiei's life forever. It had been the moment in which he'd stepped up from man to father. From warrior to protector. From fighter to defender.

They'd arrived before a door that was coated in powerful charms that none of the guards seemed willing to approach. Rather irritated by the cowards, Yukiei slowly stepped forward without their consent, taking the doorknob in hand. The wards shriveled as his power slowly began to flood thru his fingertips. He barely felt their electricity as he gently opened the door and stepped inside. It was pitch black. reaching alongside, he felt the prick of a light switch, and he flicked it. One fluorescent light popped on, showing Yukiei the shadow of someone tied down to a chair.

They had spiky hair.

It was not his daughter.

Yukiei's heart hammered as it had not done for Hina. Closing the door behind him, he trembled, terrified.

He did not tell his feet to walk forward, but found they had a mind of their own. Shaking out of fear that he damned himself for having, Yukiei slowly walked around the side of the room, past a row of trays full of bloody instruments of torture. He came around the front of the boy, and felt his heart ache in his chest.

His eyes were closed.

He was shorter than Yukiei had first expected, wearing black clothing of a silent warrior. His face was sharp. His nose was slender. His eyebrows were drawn together, knitted in fear even as he slept. No... Not fear... Memories... Memories of things long since transpired.

Terrified but transfixed, Yukiei reached out, touching the top of his son's head. His hair was jet black with a white starburst. _Just like me! _Yukiei thought with a sudden swell of fierce pride. He was Yukiei's walking image... and that frightened him more than anything he'd ever seen before in his life.

Yukiei could not resist. He slowly touched his son's cheek for the first time in over six hundred years... and his heart ached with sorrow. His son's skin was so soft. So hot. He was a fire demon to the bone.

With a jerk of breath, his son's eyes flew open. They were ruby red. Yukiei froze, his mouth ajar with horror and elation.

Those eyes... those beautiful eyes.

"...Who are you...?" His son whispered. Yukiei gagged on a breath he did not realize he had been holding.

His voice... his sons voice.

It all came flooding back to him like a horrible nightmare, and Yukiei dropped to his knees for the second time that day, grabbing his son tight by the feet where they were tied to the chair and bowing down to them, praying his son would forgive him for all that had transpired.

His son was silent as Yukiei was wracked with silent sobs he could not voice. Without knowing why, Yukiei kissed his son's bare feet, loving every inch of the boy just as he had done from the moment he was born.

He could not stand it.

Yukiei wrenched back, clutching at his hair like a mad man before running for the door, unwilling to hear his son cry out 'wait!' as he retreated. Yukiei reached the door, slamming it shut behind him only to be confronted by several guards. He did not care. He sucked in breath after breath, his hands on his knees as he bowed his head.

Never before in his life had he experienced something that frightening.

In that moment, everything had changed, just like it had changed the instant that Hiei and Yukina were born. In that moment, Yukiei felt a rage inside of him begin to grow, a rage that he'd known from his own birth... the rage of a fire demon. It built inside of him, hotter and hotter, consuming everything that he was!

"Don't go getting any funny ideas boy!"

Yukiei did not realize it at first, but soon noticed that he was smoking. He took a deep breath in and he could _smell _at long last! He smelt everything from the blood on Hina's clothes, to his daughters fragile perfume, to his sons insanity- he _smelt it! _

And that could only mean one thing.

He'd gotten his power back.

It had come from the rage he'd built, just like the rage he'd been born with. Yukiei turned on his heel, his eyes smoldering with wrath as he stared Tarukane down, who was sweating bullets amongst his cohorts. The guards were backing up, they were running! But who were they running from?

His answer was quickly found as Yukiei suddenly burst into flames. How good it felt to be surrounded, bathed in the beautiful fire! How excellent! How pure and how pristine! He could feel it from the tip of his nose to the edge of his toes! It was perfection! It was bliss! In the extreme heat, his prisoner clothes shriveled away, leaving him nude in the wild scorching flame. Something was melting out of his skin... metal... Yukiei sucked in breathe, inhaling and exhaling flame as the metal cooled on his skin, forming the armor he'd known in his youth... yes, he could feel it's weight! The armor came up to the cuff of his chin, dipping down low to plate his back and front, covering his hips all the way down to his knees. He could feel the clothing leaving him warm and secure... His hakame pants! Dark blue and dirty just like they were the last time he wore them! His Entachi, light blue and circling his hips, drawing his armor unpresentingly tight! His curote, downing him from shoulder to wrist...

His blade.

Yukiei looked down to his right hand... there it was. Cool and slick, his sword gleaming like a diamond in the blaze, winking at him cheerfully and old friend returned to ti's master. Yukiei smiled at his sword, lifting it up high into the air. It was time to show the fools that attempted to thwart him just exactly who they were messing with. He was no nameless prisoner meant to rot in a cell..

He was Yukiei, son of Yukoto. And Tarukane was a fool.

Inside her room, Hina twitched to life, her red eyes snapping open.

"Yukiei." She whispered, a fire burning in the pit of his chest.

"ARRGH!" Yukiei charged forward, his sword gleaming like the blade of truth as he began to cut and slice, as if he hadn't been out of practice for a day! Each guard was decapitated, their blood spilling onto the earth as the fire swirled and danced. Yes, yes, _yes! _This was his destiny! To devour all! To break all! Yes, yes, _yes! _

"Sorry big boy, but the fun ends here!" Tarukane screamed, sending forth his most powerful men. But they were no match for Yukiei. The first all but burst into flame at Yukiei's powerful heat. They screamed as they crashed to the ground, devoured by the flames.

"You touched my wife." Yukiei hissed, flame coming out of his mouth. "I will kill you."

"Take him!" Tarukane screamed, throwing guard after guard into his way, "Take him!"

Their flesh sizzled and melted as Yukiei wrenched out their tongues. They fell dead to the floor, their screams dying on cold lips.

"You touched my son." Yukiei hissed again, growing closer and closer to Tarukane! Tarukane backed up, unable to get away, falling over into the pool of blood, horrified. "I will kill you."

"GET HIM!" He screamed to the guards he thought he had left, "GET HIM!"

But no one answered his call.

_**(Only a door away) **_

Hina realized her bands were cut, and wrenched up. She was unable to walk very far, but her heart hammered wildly in her throat. She felt the door, yes-! It was scalding hot which could only mean one thing! The place was going up in flames, and Yukiei had finally broken free of his bonds! At once, Hina pulled the ribbon from her hair... It was finally time to use it. Twirling it back and forth rapidly, it began to slash and break at the scalding metal. It finally blasted the door to pieces! The entire hallway was going up in horrible flames and Hina burst into the scene, coughing and hacking on the horrible smoke. She couldn't see an inch in front of her face! She had no strength to shield herself with her ki and ran as fast as her blood stained legs would allow, tripping on decapitated bodies as she stumbled, searching blindly for a shadow of Hiei's ki.

She didn't have to look far. Thru the flames, it was easy to tell which door was her sons. The one covered with wards. She slashed! Back, forth, up, down! She pursued the wards, slamming them again and again with her ribbon! She would not be stopped! She would not loose her children again!

The door burst open, falling with a horrible clatter to the ground as smoke began to pour into the darkened room. Hina tripped forward, to find Hiei broken on the floor. She scooped him up in her arms, pulling off band after band in an attempt to free him of his chains.

"Hiei!" Hina screamed, coughing on the smoke, "Hiei! Get up! Please god-!" Hina could not stop herself from crying, hating herself from her weakness, " Don't be dead!"

"...Mother..?"

Hina looked down, overjoyed to see her son staring up at her thru blood shot and bruised eyes.

"We've got to go!" Hina cried out, attempting to pull Hiei to his feet. They were wounded animals, leaning on each other as they attempted to struggle their way to the door. "This is our only chance! Come on!"

Hiei slowly stumbled out the door, taking Hina with him.

_**(In the center of the chaos) **_

"**YOU!" **Yukiei roared **"YOU ARE DEAD!" **

And so Tarukane was. Rearing back, Yukiei allowed his to swirl around him in a horrible fiery inferno. He thought of his life. He thought of his children. He thought of his wife. He thought of the last time he'd seen his son, a newborn infant wailing for love as he clutched tight to his chest.

Yukiei's heart seized up in agony. He could not think of that now!

Yukiei stared down at Tarukane, his eyes narrowed to thin slits. Tarukane sweated up at him, terrified and appalled.

"... For what you have done... you deserve nothing but death." Yukiei hissed. "I gladly give it to you."

His sword plunged. Blood shot everywhere.

_**(One thin shield of smoke away) **_

"You get him!" Hiei shouted, shoving Hina forward, "I'll get Yukina!"

He was quick, slamming repeatedly into the door until it broke into a hundred pieces. Hina charged forward, sifting thru the smoke.

She coughed and cried out as she plunged into the smoldering chaos. Walls were falling in around her. The ceiling was groaning as it's planks crashed to the ground, smoking black embers. Hina squinted, her eyes narrowed into small slits as she sensed a tremendous presence...

...Could it be...?

A hot white light sprung forth, shooting back the smoke so that Hina had to cover her face from the wild blast, her bloodied kimono rippling hard in the fierce and sudden breeze her hair tangling in the wild wind. She slowly dropped her hands as a stillness grew.

And there he was.

"YUKIEI!"

She ran forward, tears of joy spilling from her eyes, as she laughed and cried out aloud. She flung her arms around him, holding him tight! Yukiei clutched her tight to his chest, and the broke apart to stare into one another faces.

They kissed.

Flames devoured the couple as their tongues danced in happiness, Hina grasped at his face, his long hair, his armor, everything... anything. What word could describe this moment? Pure bliss? Utter joy? She'd remember it for the rest of her life... even unto her death. For in this moment she realized three things. That goodness did exist. That it could overcome evil. That love would find a way, regardless.

They broke apart, panting heavily in the smoke and flame. Red eyes stared into red eyes... fire and ice molded together.

"...Yukiei." She whispered. Yukiei's face melted into a small weary smile. She touched his ragged lips tenderly, brushing them with her own soft ones.

All was well.

In Yukina's chamber, Hiei struggled to free his sister, breaking every chain that bound her body to the floor. he scooped her up to his chest, too weak to rise up on his own.

"I won't leave without you!" Hiei choked out into the fog. "I won't ever leave without you!"

He tried to get up, but fell down again. "GOD DAMMIT!" He shouted aloud, cursing the world. With all the strength he could muster, Hiei slowly rose up to his feet, taking Yukina with him. "I'm. Not. Leaving. Without. My. Sister." He ground out each word as he huffed and puffed. "I'm. Not!"

Yukina shifted, her bloodied lips breaking into a perfect smile.

"...Ni-san..."

Hiei looked down at her.

He'd been a god damn fool. He nuzzled her close. Why had he ever attempted to hide the truth from her? What had been keeping him from revealing all the joy that they had to share together? Had it been fear? Anger? Pain? Either way, Hiei let it all go in that moment.

"Oni-chan." Hiei greeted her, for the first time in his life.

"Brother." She repeated again.

"Sister." He smiled.

"...It's a shame about the fire." Yukina whispered, her voice cracking with thick emotion. "We could have had a longer moment."

"...We have the rest of our lives." Hiei promised her. He looked up at the door, full of flame and smoke. It could have been full of poisonous gasses or butterflies. It wouldn't have mattered to him. He was getting her out of here. If it meant his death, then so _fucking _be it.

Unable to hold her much longer, Hiei slowly made his way out the door, buckling in his lack of strength. He staggered out thru the door, coming into the view of two people embracing passionately. He struggled to see momentarily, before the view finally came to his eyes.

He gasped.

A man, tall and lithe, held his mother in his arms, kissing her with all the love a man could hold.

Hiei was no fool. He knew who this man was.

For the first time in his life, Hiei gazed upon his father, and felt an unknown emotion pour itself into his soul. An emotion of deep, unending respect. Of desire to care for, to protect, and look up to this man. A desire to do whatever this man said. A longing to be the best son he could possibly be... Where had this emotion come from?

It overpowered him, and Hiei felt his knees break. He crashed to the floor.

Yukiei whipped around, his eyes locking onto his son. There it was again, the powerful unending emotion of love and devotion. Yukiei's heart swelled and swelled even more for who was this perfect angel in his sons arms? Who was this bloodied beauty with hair just like her mothers?

There was only one solution, and it melted Yukiei right in two. His little princess. His daughter.

Yukiei stepped forward, and with one hard motion took his daughter from his son, helping him rise to his feet. Their hands touched. A million thoughts and feelings exploded inside of them like fireworks as they locked eyes.

"...Right now we have to move quick, but when we get out of here... we're having a long talk, alright?" Yukiei promised. "We'll talk forever, about anything you want. For as long as you desire... but right now-"

"We have to run." Hiei nodded, his mouth incredibly dry, "Don't sweat it." It was a strange thing to say to one's father, but between the two fire demons there was a mutual understanding. In the arms of his mother, Hiei and Hina made their way thru the carnage. Fire was destroying the entire building. As Yukiei held his daughter close, he paused, feeling the small black stone that still pulsed hot and heavy in his hands. He did not know why, but something ominous inside of him told him to leave the stone there, that it did not belong to him. He cast it aside, and it clattered across the fallen embers, landing in the bloodied pool of Tarukane's body.

He'd gotten his dying wish. The black bomb twinkled darkly in his hand.

_**(High in the air) **_

"YUSUKE!" Botan screamed out "DOWN THERE!"

Yusuke looked down, shocked to see that the building they'd come to burn was already on fire! Could it be that Hiei had managed to break free and was wreaking havoc!

"DOWN PUU!" Yusuke shouted, and the pheonix let out a wild cry, circling lower and lower as as they grew eye level with the roof.

The door to the stair well was being hammered open. Smoke was pouring out from under the door crack-!

_**Boom! **_

The door flew off it's hinges to reveal four black, smoking, but _alive _people. Botan's heart cheered, and she could not help but cry out in joy.

"THERE THEY ARE!" she screamed out. "THERE THEY ARE! THEY'RE ALL OKAY!" She squealed with utter delight, on the verge of tears.

The sun was glorious and bright. The sky was bright blue! It seemed to purify the families souls as they embraced one another, nearly dead but fully alive at the same time.

"GET ON THE BIRD!" Yukiei shouted, shoving his family forward as the building beneath them began to shudder and groan. It was going to collapse!

Kurama and Kuwabara jumped off of Pu's back, grabbing Hina and Yukina in turn as they helped them climb aboard the wings of the enormous creature. Hiei and Yukiei stared at one another, lost in the moment as their hands brushed again.

"MOVE!" Yukiei shouted, grabbing his son tight by the hand and pulling him to the back of the bird, grabbing him around the waist and hoisting him up with incredible strength. Hiei gasped aloud. Never before had anyone held him in such a manner! Never before had anyone cared about him in such a manner...!

"MOVE, OR I KILL EVERYONE IN THIS BITCH TONIGHT!" Yukiei threatened. Hina burst out into peels of laughter as Yusuke reached around Pu's neck.

"UP!" Yusuke shouted. Pu rose higher and higher into the beautiful blue sky. The war might not be over, but a battle had been won.

For the reunited family, that was victory enough.

_**(End Scene) **_

_**Is this the end? Absolutely not. Much more is coming... I worked very hard to make these reactions perfect... I hope that I succeeded. Each individual story needed to be told... Yukiei and Hiei... Yukiei and Yukina... Yukiei and Hina... Yukiei and Tarukane... Yes. It all needed to be out in the open before a conclusion could come. **_

_**But there's more! Want a glimpse at a scene from Mother In the Fire? Go to this link, which will show you the shot of Hina and Yukiei reuniting! **_

_**.com/gallery/30197430#/d3g8u0n**_

_**Please wait patiently while I upload the next chapters. There is much more to come in the story Mother In the Fire, and it's newly archived sequel "Babies Blood"! **_


	21. Shadow Of The Stars

_**Thank you so much for all the kind reviews. I'm glad that everyone had a good time reading about the reunion, but there's so much more in store for the family! :) We're officially 2/3rds done. These last couple of chapters will change everything... I hope that everyone will enjoy these last chapters of Mother In the Fire... On with the show! **_

_**(Scene Break) **_

It had been a terrifying ride back to Genkai's dojo. From their injuries sustained thru torture and interrogation, Hina, Yukina, and Hiei all but passed out a few minutes after scrambling up Pu's back with the help of Yukiei. Yusuke, Genkai, Botan, Kurama, and Kuwabara watched thru wary eyes at this new member of their close knit team. Yukiei was nothing like they imagined he would be.

Yusuke had imagined someone like Raizen, evil and wild with glowing eyes and sharp teeth. Kuwabara had imagined someone like his own father, well groomed and hard mannered. Botan of course had imagined him hellish and wild, just like Hiei in her nightmares equipped with bat wings and a vicious attitude. Genkai hadn't really given it much thought.

Kurama, on the other hand, had known Yukiei long ago, and knew exactly what he would look like. A samurai. Indeed, Yukiei was just as he remembered, even as he cradled his wife with one hand, and his children with his other.

Yukiei was tall and lithe, with hard armor of fine copper and thick lining of iron. His thick pants were a dark blue, strapped tight to his skin by his leg armor. His undershirt was a light beige that shimmered in the dying sun as it sank slowly into the west. His long black hair rippled out behind him, kept neat in a pony tail that trailed all the way down to the small of his back. The white starburst that crowned his head trailed into the length of his hair... his blood red eyes were fixed forward. Kurama gritted his teeth and kept quiet. He knew what Yukiei was capable of.

They landed well past nightfall, so that as they banked on the front lawn of the dojo lights popped on from the inside and people came pouring out. Mukuro just kept holding onto Hiei, a muscle jumping in her jaw as if she was angry with him. Kuwabara and Shizuru doted on Yukina, holding her near as they cooed to her and told her 'everything would be alright'. But Hina's eyes were only for Yukiei, and he helped her up the front steps, keeping her tight in his arms. It was clear as he passed them all that he did not care for their friendship or for their compliments. Only for his wife and children.

They were laid down in the back of the dojo, their clothes replaced with clean white cloth, their wounds bandaged, their fevers doused. It was a grueling task, but Yukiei never wavered in his loyalty. By the time Hina, Yukina, and Hiei were fast asleep, Yukiei's eyes were lated with sleep.

Yukiei sat at the kitchen table of the dojo, regarding his surroundings warily. He did not speak, did not eat, merely kept his eyes on the door... and on Kurama.

"They're all weak." Genkai thought, "Abused. Neglected. But they'll heal."

"So..." Kuwabara asked, "Tarukane is dead?"

"Quite."

Everyone stared at Yukiei. His lip was curling, his two fangs showing. Kuwabara unconsciously gulped.

"You are Yukiei." Genkai asked.

"You're... Genkai?" Yukiei countered.

"Quick of you to notice." Genkai saluted him with a tip of her tea cup.

"Your aura." Yukiei explained, "I spent half of my life studying auras... I can tell everything about a person from them. Part of my battle technique... The Koto 'Moon Moo'."

"Moon Moo?" Genkai seemed impressed, "That's a very difficult Koto."

"Thru great difficulty comes great triumph. I accept nothing but the best thru my training. I strive for excellence with great expectations." Yukiei growled, his back straight with pride.

"Wow." Yusuke joked with a snort, "I feel like a slacker." At this, he gave Yukiei a one fingered salute. In a flash, Yukiei grabbed Yusuke's hand like a viper, nearly bending it to the point of breaking. Yusuke shouted in pain, trying to get away, but Yukiei's grip was like _iron! _

"Don't fuck with me!" Yukiei growled angrily, his face close to Yusuke's ,"You think I don't know what you're packing in that finger of yours?"

"Get out of my face!"

"Out of your what?"

"My face!" Yusuke tried in vain to get his hand away, but Yukiei just held on tighter. It was very clear the man would not tolerate disrespect from the ex-spirit detective.

"Your face? Oh you mean like this?" Yukiei leered, getting so close that Yusuke toppled over. Yukiei let his hand go, and Yusuke fell to the floor on his ass and elbows. Stunned silence followed, but Yukiei it seemed would not back down.

"And you!" Yukiei turned onto Kurama, who did not budge from his calm composure. "I know damn well who you are, Youko Kurama!"

Kurama's lip twitched.

"Let's not act like children." Kurama snapped, his green eyes flashing with a fleck of gold. It was as if nothing had changed, as if six hundred years had not passed. As if they were still staring at each other from across an arena, trying to gain a point off of each other's deaths.

"Shut up, vixen! I smelt you on her!" Yukiei snarled. Inwardly, Kurama felt his heart skip a beat. Did Yukiei know that Youko Kurama had kissed Hina? Did he know what had transpired that night on the beach? The thoughts made his innards turn to ice.

"We've been sharing compartments." Kurama half-lied, rolling his eyes for effect. But Yukiei would not be satisfied.

"You share air with her and I'll rip out your throat!" Yukiei shouted. Kurama felt a growl slip past his lips. Yusuke was still on the floor, his mouth agape. It was clear to Kurama that no one had expected Yukiei to be so harsh.

"Um..." Kuwabara looked terrified, but it was too late to back down. Yukiei reared on him, Kurama and Yusuke still slightly in shock. Kuwabara stood his ground, a man thru and thru, "You don't have to be worried, Mr. Yukiei-san." Kuwabara bowed his head slightly, "Kurama and Yusuke are good guys. We're all good guys."

Yukiei raised an eyebrow, utterly lost at the term 'good guys'. But before Kuwabara could explain himself, Yukiei sneered, leering in Kurama's face one last time as he left the room, storming out with such ferocity that Kuwabara could not suppress a shiver. Hina might be stern... but Yukiei was downright terrifying.

Yukiei walked down the darkened hallways of the dojo, to the spare room where his family slept. Closing the doors tight behind him, he locked them from the inside to ensure they would not be intruded upon. Opening the closet doors one at a time, Yukiei finally slid back a bamboo door to reveal a pedestal for armor. He knelt down, ritually removing each piece of armor at a time and placing them with great care on their specific spots. After a bit of searching, Yukiei found some incense hiding near the back of the pedestal, and lit it with the tip of his finger so that he methodically cleansed his armor. Yukiei was a man of tradition. Death was no excuse.

He bathed just as mannerly, washing his body as if it were a temple. That was the way of the samurai. As he dressed in clean clothes, Yukiei tied his long hair back into an udo knot, two chopsticks keeping it from unraveling all the way down to the small of his back. As he returned to his wife's side, he sat down next to her, staring into her face with a feeling on intense calm. Hina shifted in breath, opening her eyes to glimpse him there. With trembling arms, she opened herself to him, taking him into her breast with so much happiness and joy. Yukiei dimmed the oil lamp that bathed the room in a golden glow so that the tiny flame twinkled merrily at them in the calm dark. Yukiei held her tightly, rubbing her back in a soothing manner. Beside them, Yukina and Hiei were fast asleep.

Yukiei had never been so at peace in all his life.

_**(Scene Break) **_

The next few days were ones of intense healing. It took a full two weeks before Hina, Yukina, or Hiei felt ready to move out of their beds. Hiei had suffered greatly, with two of his back molars wrenched out and his throat damaged from times when Tarukane had forced him to swallow burning water or hot coals. Yukina's injuries were sexual but they were also mental. There were times when Kuwabara would attempt to hold her, only to have Yukina shrink away in slight fear. Yukiei kept a firm eye on his daughter at all times, like a silent protector thru out her day. Hina merely slept and slept, her bleeding irregular and her vomiting continuous. Terrified she might be pregnant, she used her ki to see if she was carrying life in her womb... she was not.

On the second week of her recovery, she awoke to hear strange sounds coming from the back yard. Getting up from her futon, she noticed that she was alone and knew that somewhere in the dojo, her husband was walking around. She noticed Yukiei's inside shoes sitting by the door, and smiled knowing that her husband must be out in the yard. She dressed, putting on makeup for the first time in many centuries. With great care, she took her wedding ring off from around her neck where her mother's hiroseke stone lay and slipped it onto her finger. It felt like sliding home. When she rose up, she was careful not to stretch her tummy too far, lest she gasp out in pain. She put on her best kimono, one of icy blue. She felt like a bride on her honeymoon, utterly awash with happiness. Floating on a cloud of joy, she walked out of her room, looking around curious. The noises were coming from outside the dojo. Upon walking outside, Hina spotted Genkai on the steps breaking peas into a large wooden bowl. Hina bowed to her politely, and Genkai nodded her head to the left. Curious, Hina followed the flow of noise and was delighted to find that Yukiei was in the backyard, practicing his koto on a dummy tied to a tree. With a round house slash that cut a three inch ring into the tree, Yukiei finished, bowing graciously to his pretend opponent before looking over his shoulder to see Hina standing there.

He grinned.

"Hey doll face." Yukiei used her old nick name, and Hina's heart leapt for joy. She ran to his arms, and he swept her up in a great hug, laughing into her neck as he swung her around and around. Hina floated above the ground, as if she were on a cloud, overjoyed. The last time they had laughed with each other like this, Hiei and Yukina hadn't even been born.

Upon setting her back down on the ground, Hina wiped her aqua hair out of her face, laughing in a daze. Without warning, Yukiei captured her lips in a kiss, drawing in her essence with such force that Hina felt the breath being sucked out of her... How she missed being kissed like this. She brought her arms up, wrapping them tight around his neck to play with the fine hairs she found there, pressing her silhouette tight to his own so that there was no space, no lines... only two souls together, at last.

After a few more private moments in the garden, Yukiei and Hina made their way back up to the dojo, arm in arm. They talked of everything and nothing. Of time, of space, of laughter, of clouds... It was as if nothing had changed. As if they hadn't been apart for a minute.

Inside the dojo, most of the inhabitants had crowded around the kitchen table. Mukuro was no where to be found, but Yusuke, Kurama, Kuwabara, and Botan were all enjoying a small breakfast of rice and egg with miso soup. Upon seeing Yukiei, their chatter slowed to a halt. Hina felt a little on guard. Why were they so afraid of her husband?

"Yusuke!" Hina stepped forward, hugging the wayward youth and kissing his brow. "Thank you so much for everything you did! You saved my family!"

"No problem." Yusuke grinned, looking at Yukiei warily as he spoke. When he let go of Hina, Yusuke took his empty plate to the kitchen sink... but as he passed Yukiei, Yukiei let out a soft growl. Hina tried to feign ignorance.

"Kazuma!" Hina embraced the carrot top next, "Oh Kazuma how I missed you...!" She kissed him fondly on the cheek so that he blushed, "You've been so good to our daughter, how can we ever repay you?"

"Good to our daughter?" Yukiei questioned, looking wary as he sat down. next to Hina at the table. Hina tucked her kimono in delicately as she sat on her legs, bowing to her meal as was respectful. Hina did not answer his question, unsure of how Yukiei would take to the notion of Kuwabara being utterly in love with Yukina. Rome wasn't built in a day, and she had a feeling Yukiei would be outraged.

"Kurama." Hina clasped Kurama's hand tight in dear friendship. The pair of them smiled to one another, even as a vein throbbed in Yukiei's temple, "Thank you... For everything you did. From the bottom of my heart. If it weren't for you... my whole family would still be lost."

"And why is that?" Yukiei asked icily. At his tone, Hina immediately let go of Kurama's hand, taking hold of Yukiei's instead to assure him of her faithfulness.

"It was Kurama's idea to have a trade off instead of Hiei being tortured without end." Hina explained, "His gamble was high, but like you said with great obstacles come great reward!" Hina added. Yukiei's eyes flashed dangerously as they narrowed upon Kurama's emerald ones, and the atmosphere at the table changed from one of hunger to one of pregnant pause.

"...You _gambled _on my families _lives?" _Yukiei growled.

"Never lost a game." Kurama tapped his chin, "Poker face."

This was clearly not the right answer.

"You dishonor my family to use us as chips in your own private games!" Yukiei shot up from his seat so fast that Hina was nearly knocked over, his hand on the hilt of his sword, his eyes blazing! Hina scrambled up at once, placing a gentle hand over his own that grasped his weapon with white knuckles.

"Yukiei..." She soothed, rubbing his chest tenderly thru his armor, "It's okay. Kurama didn't mean to dishonor us! He was trying to help us... Sometimes help comes at a price. Don't you see?" Hina asked, "Kurama's a friend now. He's changed. We've all changed." She bit her lip, afraid that the damage was already done.

"...And have you changed, Hina?" Yukiei asked quietly. She nuzzled him softly in the crook of his neck.

"Never."

They sat down together, once more. Yukiei might still look at Kurama thru narrowed eyes, but at least he'd taken his hand off his sword. As Yukiei poured a cup of tea, the others could not help but watch entranced. He poured it like an artist might paint, with purpose and with ritual. Yusuke, as always, was quick to ruin the moment.

"You some kind of monk?"

Yukiei's eyes snapped open, wild like burning coals. Hina felt the blood drain out of her hand as Yukiei gripped it so hard she thought her fingers might break.

"You bow all the time, and pray all the time." Yusuke added, "What gives?"

Yukiei clenched his cup so tightly that it began to splinter, "It is dishonorable to speak to a samurai in such a way."

"Woah!" Kuwabara threw up the red flag, "You're a samurai? A _real _samurai?"

Yukiei threw him a quizzical glance, "Can there be any other?" He snapped.

"Yukiei here has always been a top samurai." Kurama spoke up, slowly trailing his finger around the rim of his tea cup, "The first born son of a first born son of a first born son... a rarity. He pursues excellence and he achieves it. Look to Hiei as an example. He and his father are akin."

At Hiei's name, Yukiei's grip on his cup and Hina's fingers fell lax.

"...Hiei..." Yukiei put down his cup, deep in thought.

"He's asleep." Hina added, "Would you like to speak to him?"

After a moment of pause, Yukiei spoke, "It is customary of my kind for a son to be regarded as the next to the family throne. So many rituals we have missed and therefore dishonored. So many lines I should have been able to say... rights I should have been able to give..."

"... You can make up for them, surely? A few at least?" Hina patted her husbands knee tenderly.

Yukiei thought on that, "Uncommon but not unheard of." he sighed, "But I cannot do it here. I must take him to his birth-land."

For the first time all morning, Botan spoke up, looking nervous.

"Um, Mr. Yukiei sir..." Botan scrambled over her words, cursing her tongue, "I don't think that's a good idea. You see, Koenma would get in awful trouble if you were found-"

Yukiei raised a hand irritably to cut her off mid sentence. Botan fell silent at once.

"I'd need to do it soon." Yukiei continued on as if he had not heard first. Hina looked from Botan who was pale and waning to Yukiei who was deep in thought. She rubbed her husbands knee.

"Let him heal first. Then you two can journey together?" Hina added. Yukiei smiled.

"... Yes. I do believe you a genius." Yukiei chuckled, kissing her softly on the forehead. Hina wore a dopey smile.

"Oh, I don't know about that." She laughed, "Yukina is the real brains in this family."

At her name, Yukiei froze mid kiss, his eyes widening slightly. Hina realized they had stumbled into another pothole, and waited fearfully.

"... Yukina... My beautiful daughter. So fragile. Like a lily floating on the wind. Blown violently by the changes of circumstance." Yukiei shook his head bitterly.

"She may be fragile, but she is also strong...she will recover. My love will make sure of it!" Kuwabara burst out. He clapped a hand over his mouth as Yukiei's eyes flew up to his own, narrowing with burning questions. For a moment, a terrible swelling silence loomed over all of them, before Yukiei finally spoke.

"Mm." He mumbled, " In my land, daughters were like precious gems. Guarded, valued, treasured... kept safe and well protected from thieves and... scoundrels." At this, he glared venomously at Kuwabara. "I fear she has been broken by vile slugs who would call themselves men."

Kuwabara looked heartbroken, but Hina would not allow for Kazuma to fail. Not now when she knew how good he was!

"Kazuma holds a mans word in high regard. He's always striven to be a gentleman." Hina added.

"Pain in my ass." Yusuke muttered under his breath.

"Shuttup!" Kuwabara hissed. "Stop being disrespectful in front of him!"

"He's not the boss of me!" Yusuke sneered. "And neither are you!"

"Who gives a shit? He's Yukina's dad and that makes him the boss of me!" Kuwabara cried out angrily. He looked at Yukiei who was glaring daggers and fell silent, horrified.

Hina gaped, afraid all was lost. Still she continued on, trying to cover the enormous pot hole that Yusuke had created.

"One time, Kazuma allowed four thugs to beat him up! Just to keep a promise between men. To protect a friend. Isn't that nice?" Hina asked.

Yukiei snorted, rolling his dark red eyes. He rose up, straightening his sword at his hip.

"You and I have much to do." he added to Hina as he left the room.

"... That's a good sign!" Hina cried out in the terrible silence that followed.

"Ugh!" Kuwabara put his head down on the table, right into his miso bowl.

"Stop." Hina snapped, forcing Kazuma to sit up straight even as Yusuke burst out into snickers and Kurama sighed, rubbing his forehead with slender fingers. Botan still looked fearful. "He didn't kill you did he? What more could be hoped for?"

"I'm doomed." Kuwabara moaned, wiping his face clean of miso. He looked utterly _miserable. _

"Possibly." Hina admitted, embaressed for her friend. She rose up, about to leave, but paused at the doorway, turning around. She'd known them for what felt like a lifetime. Yusuke the trouble maker. Kazuma the good soul. Kurama the dark thinker. Botan... sweet and bubbly. The first person Hina had been graced to know from this wonderful family.

"Thank you so much for adjusting to him. He's... different than most men. But he was born in a different time. You cannot measure his logic by any modern yardstick. His weapons may be up to date, but his thinking is six hundred years out of date. He'll come around."

She hoped her words would say what her actions did not. She left them there, still eating breakfast, and followed the hallway back to the final room where she found Yukiei slowly cleaning his armor, one piece at a time with an old cloth. Hina watched him, smiling, recalling how he would do this late in the tournament. She saw that there were holes in his clothes, and snapped her fingers, thinking quick. She fetched her sewing kit, sitting beside Yukiei as he polished so that as she began to mend his clothes, he grinned from ear to ear.

"Wife." he kissed her cheek.

"Your armor..." Hina hinted, "So beautiful. So sharp. Just like you."

"Rusted and bent." Yukiei grumbled.

"Shh." She kissed him again, "Your son will be so excited to meet you, I'm sure." At this she snipped a loose thread from his sleeve.

Yukiei did not look so confident.

"I feel like I've betrayed him... I should have been able to raise him. To shape him into a smart man. What kind of father am I?" Yukiei looked lost, and just as miserable as Kazuma in the other room. Hina held him awkwardly at the angle she found herself in, nuzzling him with all the affection she could bring forth.

"The kind that tries." she whispered, "That's more than I can say about other fathers. You know Kurama? He doesn't have a father. His father left his mother."

"Cowards." Yukiei growled, tightening his fist, "Abandoning their children. That's how thieves are made."

"And Kazuma?" Hina continued on, boosting his confidence, "He doesn't have a father either. His father died. He's been the man of his house since he was ten."

"So much responsibility." Yukiei shook his head sadly, "No wonder he's strained. A boy should never have to fill his fathers shoes until he is ready."

"... Yusuke's father left his mother... He's a common street thug." Hina admitted, slightly ashamed for blabbing his secrets. She felt like a loose lip.

"Explains the attitude." Yukiei snorted.

"Yusuke likes to push buttons." Hina added, "He's a boy at heart."

"...And my son?" Yukiei frowned, his head bowed in shame, "His father died unable to defend him only minutes after his birth? Unable to ward off a couple of old ice hags with pretty pieces of paper-"

"No!" Hina snapped, "Your son's father died a glorious death, defending those he loved. And they weren't just some _ice hags... _They were my village elders. They knew more magic that anyone else on that whole island. And those weren't _pretty pieces of paper... _they were sutras for fire demons. You stood no chance, Yukiei. But still you fought. You didn't run away. You didn't lie or hide. You stood proud, and died for us. And now... Now you can live for us." Hina embraced him tenderly from behind.

She did not see it, but he smiled.

_**(In the other room) **_

Hiei felt like he'd slept for a century. Cracking his knuckles as he rolled on his side, he opened his eyes to see Yukina right beside him, pale and sweating. Her red eyes were cracked open slightly.

"Ohaiyo oni chan..." Hiei tried for a smile. It was hard to muster.

"Ohaiyo ni san..." Yukina whispered feebly, almost unable to be heard.

"How do you feel?" Hiei murmured.

"...Ohayiyo... ni san..."

"Yukina." She was speaking as if she had not heard him. As she she had not seen him. Reaching out, Hiei felt her forehead, shocked to see she was burning up. "Your hot."

"...I..." Yukina closed her eyes, her face screwing up with pain, "I... I... _hurt." _

Hiei sat up abruptly, ignoring all the shooting pains in his body as his entire frame protested at the sudden movement. Slightly afraid, he lifted to covers away from Yukina's body, horrified to find that blood was soaking the entire apex of her thighs.

"It'll be alright." Hiei scrambled out of bed, weak but determined. He had to find his mother. He had to find Kurama. He had to find _someone _who could heal. Stumbling to the door, he found it ajar as if someone had already walked in and out. Had they not seen how sick she was? Why hadn't they done _something? _Angry at the ignorance of his friends, he looked left and right, seeing light from the end of the hallway. Stumbling down the hallway, he bounced from wall to wall, unable to walk straight. He trembled on shaky legs, falling thru the final door.

Yukiei almost missed it out of the corner of his eye. A flash of movement trigger his eye, and he was shocked to see someone stumbling thru the door, nearly falling to the floor. In a flash, he bolted up, shooting over and grabbing his son right before her fell to the floor.

"HIEI!" Hina cried out, horrified. She scrambled to her feet, helping Yukiei hold up their son. Clad only in a thin sheet that Hiei held with a limp hand, he was covered in a fine sheen of sweat. He shouldn't have gotten out of bed, what was he thinking?

"Yukina... Somethings wrong with... Yukina..." Hiei moaned in his father's arms. Yukiei looked to his wife, stricken.

"She's woken up?" Hina gaped, "I'll tend to her! You shouldn't have gotten up, sit down! Yukiei-"

"Go to our daughter." He assured your, "I'll... take care of Hiei."

Hina left the room at once, running the short distance down the hallway to Yukina's room. There was a click and warm light flooded the entrance. Yukiei knew his daughter would safe in her mother's hands.

For a moment there was silence. Yukiei looked down at his son, who looked back up at him, his eyes hooded from pain and exhaution.

All his life, he had longed to be a father to his son, and now was his first chance.

Hiei's legs gave out and he nearly crashed to the floor, but Yukiei held him tight, keeping him standing as he scooped his son up into his arms, keeping the bed sheet from trailing onto the floor. He walked down the hallway into the bath, shutting the door tight behind them and locking it for double measure.

"Fine way for me to meet you, dirty and soiled." Hiei whispered, unable to keep his eyes focused as his head nestled in the crook of his father's armpit. Yukiei said nothing to that, unable to find the words to explain all that he felt to his son. He had a feeling that even if he did manage to spew out everything that he wanted to say... Hiei wouldn't understand it.

Thus was the eternal pain of being a father.

He dressed Hiei's wounds as best he could, since the boy had re opened them in his short trip down the hallway. It was difficult work, sorting out each sore and binding it with fresh gauze. But it had to be done, and who better to do it than Yukiei? Yukiei noticed several long gashes on his son's arms, only thick scars from years of fading. He traced one of them with his finger, following it from the tip of Hiei's elbow all the way down to his wrist. This was the wound of a sword.

"You have harnessed your sword... but you have allowed it to maim you. A sword must never spill it's masters blood. They are like dogs, faithful servants that can turn at any time and bite you. You must master your sword, and keep it obedient at all times. This sword disrespects you. It's worthless." At this, Yukiei managed to pry Hiei's only katana from his son's tight grip, so that both the sheet preserving his dignity and his weapon dropped to the ground. Yukiei pushed the sword aside.

"It's the only sword I've ever owned." Hiei admitted, sounding as if he didn't want to part with it. Yukiei caught his sons eyes as he wrapped Hiei's left foot.

"You will own many in your lifetime." It was a promise for years to come. A promise for them to share a life together with a good relationship. Yukiei would be more than happy to get Hiei a new sword. He'd get him many, he was certain. Yukiei noticed that Hiei's right arm was wrapped in impossibly tight guaze. Yukiei cut it free, not heeding his son's gasp as the dried up fabric shrivvleed to the floor. It revealed a spinning mass of black... burnt flesh that sizzled in the clean air. Yukiei's eyes widened uncharacteristicly. He looked up at Hiei then back down at his arm. Could it be...? But he could recognize that tattoo anywhere. He'd only seen it in books...

"You wield... the dragon?" Yukiei whispered, in awe.

"Had to honor us somehow." Hiei managed a weak smile, but it fell quickly to be replaced by a morose expression of guilt and regret.

"You bring _great _honor to this family." Yukiei assured his son, stroking his right arm as he spoke. He liked to imagine that the dragon was pleased with the touch.

"...I do?"

Yukiei and Hiei stared at one another, unable to fully comprehend the weight of their new relationship, knowing only that it would be a deep one. Yukiei petted Hiei's arm for an unknown amount of time, staring into his son's sorrowful eyes. If he could, he would crush all the stars in the heavens, only to bring some amount of light into those eyes. To prove to them that there was good in the world.

After refreshing Hiei's guaze, Yukiei was determined to put him straight back to bed. He carried his son, unwilling to let harm come to him if he walked and pulled a wound open once more. Inside their private salon, Yukina was fast asleep once more, pale but sleeping peacefully as Hina boiled clean cloth in a pot on a hot-plate. She poked the fabric idly, turning down the heat a bit as Yukiei graced the room. She rolled back Hiei's covers, so that Yukiei could slowly lower his son down onto his matress. Hiei groaned, shifting his weight to lay down flat. Yukiei smiled at his wife. How easy was it to pretend that Hiei was still only hours old? That he was fussy and didn't want to be put down. Yukiei recalled with great ease how often Hiei liked to be touched, how he needed the warmth that Yukiei naturally emitted. Fire demons as infants needed their parents heat.

Hina went straight to work, covering the fresh gauze with boiled cloth to help the healing process. Yukiei helped her as best he could, rubbing his son's scalp tenderly.

"... This... This is a dream." Hiei mumbled.

Yukiei smiled, "Dreams are for the foolish. Life is for the brave. This is not a dream, this is life."

"... Never in my wildest fantasies did I believe this moment would ever come to pass." Hiei's voice was sluggish. It was clear that he would have never admitted that had he been fully awake. Hina knew why, though Yukiei was yet to be aware. Hiei couldn't admit things like that naturally. It just wasn't in his genes. He needed privacy. Needed it like oxygen.

"That is because we are mortal, and search for things common to our eye. Inari only can show us the true destinies and hopes at hand. It is the honor of a lifetime to be shown a blessing from god. It is not our place to ask why it was sent."

And with those parting words from Yukiei, Hiei passed out. Hina smiled tenderly, pushing a white lock out of Hiei's eyes.

"Don't wake his bad ass up." Hina warned playfully, "Look at how adorable he is when he sleeps... Doesn't look like he killed six men over a bowl of cereal."

"Breakfast is the most important meal of the day." Yukiei added to the joke. Hina smiled even more, leaning over to plant a soft kiss on Hiei's forehead. Hiei grumbled, making a strange noise that sounded like _'cutitout'. _

"He'll keep." Hina sat up, satisfied. She looked over her shoulder at Yukina, who slept fitfully, "Yukina's not hurt so much as she is in shock. I don't think there's much I can do for her... but maybe you could talk to her. She needs her father." She looked at Yukiei, the unspoken question on her lips.

_Will you? _

Yukiei would. Crawling over on his haunches, Yukiei gazed down into the face of his daughter, so young and yet already so old with a lifetime of misery she hadn't deserved. He touched her cheek tenderly. She was just like her mother... just like her. Yukina's eyes fluttered open, their ruby red iris' swimming in unshed tears.

"...Father..." she whispered, her cracked lips stretching into the first smile she'd worn in a long time. Yukiei smiled down at her, touching her lips.

"Yukina." Yukiei murmured warmly. Yukina slowly sat up, reaching out for him with trembling arms. They embraced, as they should have been able to do all of their lives. Yukiei nuzzled her affectionatly, rubbing her back and petting her aqua hair. She was a gem. A perfect beautiful gem. The gem of his heart.

"...Yukina..." Yukiei withdrew from her tight hold- or at least he tried to- but Yukina seemed unwilling to let him go, unwilling to pull away. It was as if she was afraid he would vanish.

"Yukina-" Yukiei tried to pull away but Yukina just held on tighter. He looked at his wife, who shrugged her shoulders sympathetically. Instead of letting her go, Yukiei allowed his daughter to hold onto him for as long as she needed... for whatever reasons she needed.

She fell asleep in his arms, her little head drooping onto his muscled, scarred chest.

_**(Much later that night) **_

"His wounds will heal. Hers may not."

The pair of them lay in bed, next to their two children who were out cold. They had not lain like this in a very long time. The last time they'd been in bed, just talking to one another as the night slipped by, Yukina and Hiei were still in the womb. Hina remembered one night in particular when Hiei (the kicker) had been more active than usual till Yukiei had pressed his face to Hina's swollen belly, muttering nonsense till Hiei had slowly drifted off to sleep in his dark and warm world, entwined with his twin sister.

"It's up to me to show her that men can be kind." Yukiei thought aloud, rubbing his eyes tiredly.

"She used to think human's were very nice. But after this?" Hina's question remained unanswered in the silence. Would Yukina's view on human's change?

"Bastards. They'd fuck a pile of manure if they had a chance."

"True."

The pair of them grinned at their ill humor.

"When Hiei heals, I'm taking him to Rytonia." Yukiei whispered. At once, a million images of active volcanoes, black skies, swirling embers that glowed on the wind, wild bonfires, acrid ash... it all came back to her as she remembered her stay in Yukiei's home. It had been one of the most important moments of her life... it had been the moment in which she'd cast off forever the ideas that had been ground into her head since infancy- the ideas that an ice maiden must never leave her home, must never fall in love, must only do as her mother's have done before her. In the moment that she'd married Yukiei, allowing him to kiss her full on the mouth as a volcano erupted and spewed lava into the air like a firework explosion, she'd dropped that facade... In the shadow of the stars, she'd learned who she truly was.

"Promise you'll return to me?"

"The minute I do him justice."

She touched his cheek, kissing him fondly on the mouth.

After a moment he kissed her harder... They accidentally rubbed against one another, and gasped at the shock of the intimacy that they hadn't shared in centuries.

"...We shouldn't." Hina whispered, "...The children."

"They won't wake."

Kisses resumed... lips touched, pressing unspoken messages from mouth to mouth that flowed like ribbon thru warm air.

A hand slipped down to the apex of her thighs.

A touch that she hadn't known in so long. A touch that she needed more than sun. More than water. More than air.

And then, something bigger, something thicker, something warmer, something that made her feel full, complete, utterly complete... as if warm golden liquid had been poured into her soul, filling a crevice of darkness. Her cup runneth over.

He was inside of her.

She kissed him full on the mouth, wrapping her legs tight around his waist so that folds of kimono and hakame mingled together. Her toes curled tight at the rush of feeling, sweat beaded at the nape of her neck. She gasped out-!

"I love you- I love you so much-!" She whispered, choking around the words as she clutched him close.

"You're everything good in the world." His breath was warm on the nape of her neck, creating a moisture so that she shivered, "Everything beautiful. Everything perfect... I-" Yukiei shuddered. Hina knew what he had meant to say, and unknowingly tightened. Yukiei gripped the sides of the futon so hard that the threads began to splinter, his teeth grinding down as his entire being ran scalding hot and freezing cold.

In the afterglow, Yukiei held tight to his wife, unmoving from exhaustion and elation.

Little did they know that Yukina was awake, listening to the sounds of their lovemaking. She hastily wiped her eyes at the sounds of _true _love.

_**(Scene Break) **_

Yukiei poured over maps of the changed lands of demon world, contemplating how best to safely take Hiei to Rytonia. One thing was for certain, they would have to keep off the main road thru Alaric, and avoid the Forest of Fools. If they were smart they might be able to cut straight across the hills and Valleys of Vagabonds. Small villages would offer them some amount of cover, and the villagers seldom caused trouble. They knew better than to tempt a samurai. He paused, looking up moodily from his work. Kurama was standing behind him, looking at the map.

"It is dishonorable to not announce your presence." Yukiei growled, setting his map down.

"I forgot how in touch you were with the moral code." Kurama sneered.

"I did not forget how out of touch you were. Is there something you need from me." Yukiei snapped. At this, Kurama paused, sitting down beside Yukiei at the abandoned kitchen table, looking his ex rival dead in the eye.

"I normally don't do this but, in this case, I think it may be necessary." Kurama sighed, pulling off a thick bandage wrapped around his neck. At once, he fluidly transformed into Youko. Yukiei felt his teeth grind as his old enemy resurfaced before his eyes. Yes... He knew this man damn well.

"I already knew who you were." Yukiei snapped.

"What you see is what you get. The human form you saw is nothing more than a body I inhabit while I stay in the ningenkai. That is all." Kurama's tone was calm and level. It was as if he were speaking to a small angry child about why they were being disciplined.

"So you finally show yourself." Yukiei growled, clenching his teeth.

"In our pasts, we collided. I will not deny that. But much has changed since that time. You found a wife, got married had children... I found someone to love, I built my empire, it fell in it's own time... When I lost the man I loved, I attempted to kill his murderer. I ended up getting killed myself, and in an attempt to escape Enma's rule, I became a human... I thought I would merely wait in human world before returning but something changed."

Yukiei paused, his anger falling short. He had not expected that sort of story coming from a notorious thief like Youko Kurama.

"Go on." Yukiei warned, waiting.

"Instead of staying Youko.. I split. I changed from a blood thirsty youkai into Shuichi... a normal, considerate, calm mannered teenage boy." At this, Youko Kurama tied back the scarf to his neck so that with a rippling wave of energy, he shimmered from the tan and muscled silver haired youko to the pale and slender red headed man that had thrown Yukiei off guard. "Who you see now. I am no longer the thief I once was. I do not like to be treated as if I still am one..."

Yukiei said nothing at this.

"...What changed you?" He asked. His answer remained unspoken... _'Hina changed me.' _

"Kuronue. Shiori. Yusuke... Hiei..." Kurama smiled at this. Yukiei unwillingly smiled back.

"...Prove it." Yukiei snapped.

"You see that book on the shelf?" Kurama pointed to a high shelf of books that sat behind the kitchen wall. Yukiei looked over his shoulder at it, noticing one in particular with a thick black cover that seemed to twinkle darkly, "It's one of Genkai's oldest. It has more magic in it than I do in my whole body... I wish I could see it. I wish I could take it. But I can't. I won't. I refuse. Do you need any more proof?"

Yukiei looked from the book back to Kurama who waited patiently for his response. Slowly, Yukiei stood up from his chair, walking around the table to take the book from it's spot on the shelf. He fingered the leather volume, feeling it's magic run hot under his fingers. Yes... this was a prize Youko Kurama would have loved to take. He noticed Kurama take a deep breath. Yukiei walked back to the table, the book in hand, sitting it down on the table before Kurama, right in front of him.

He watched Kurama warily. Kurama's fingers twitched, but besides that he remained motionless.

"...You're determined." Yukiei complimented.

"I refuse to dishonor Shiori. Perhaps you could understand... Kindly put the book away." Kurama added icily. Yukiei shrugged, picking the book back up and replacing it in it's correct spot. Content, he sat back down at the table, sliding his maps out of the way.

"Alright. You've convinced me. So if you don't want to wreak mayhem, then what _do _you want?" Yukiei asked.

Kurama shrugged. "To live. To love. To laugh." kurama looked away, "After all, that's what's most important, neh?"

"No, it is not." Kurama raised an eyebrow as Yukiei shook his head, "Honor, family, sacrifice. These are the things that are most important. Many people live without joy or love."

The pair of them sat in silence, two men on different sides of a great divider. They were equals. They understood that now.

Yukiei opened his mouth to say more, but suddenly he froze, his hand flying to the hilt of his sword. Kurama had sensed it too. Someone was drawing close to the temple. Someone was _running _to the temple. Someone with great energy.

Yukiei rose out of his seat, pressing a slight finger to his lips as he moved against the wall by the door, waiting for their 'guest' to arrive. Unnerved, Kurama drew out the rose from the sleek red strands of his hair. He thought that their fighting was over for the moment... what had happened...?

Without warning, the door to the outside flew open as someone barreled in! They were given no warning as Yukiei leapt upon them, launching himself at them and pinning whoever they were to the wall with muscles like iron. The person cried out in pain, struggling to get free, but Yukiei held him fast, his sword out and ready-!

"YUKIEI!" Kurama recognized the energy at once, and ran forward to stop him before he was too late "NO!"

"What's going on!"

Footsteps thundered down the hallway as lights popped on and sleepy people crawled from their beds. Hina looked terrified, running down the hallway to find the source of the chaos.

"Unhand me at once!"

Koenma obviously hadn't gotten the memo that a paranoid samurai was waiting on the other end of the door he'd charged thru. Had he known, he might have knocked first. The prince looked disheveled, as if someone had roughed him up (no doubt Yukiei). Yukiei, unknowing of who Koenma was, did not back down.

"Who are you? How dare you intrude upon our house without our permission? Speak before I slit your throat you guttless swine!" Yukiei barked.

"Yukiei!" Hina cried out, "That's Koenma! Don't!"

"... I am Koenma, Prince of the Spirit World, and the man who brought your wife back to life. Now kindly set me right before I launch a punishment on you the likes of which you've never seen!" Koenma shouted, almost purple in the face.

"...Try me." Yukiei growled. Hina ran forward, knocking past Kurama as she wrapped her hands around her husbands thick arms, trying to pull them off of the prince.

"Yukiei...! It's alright... This is a good man."

Yukiei let Koenma go so that he slumped to the wall. Koenma gasped for air as Kurama and Hina waited pensively for whatever news he had come to bring.

"...You're Yukiei, then." Koenma rubbed his throat, looking the samurai up and down warily. "Makes sense, you look like Hiei."

"Who wants to know." Yukiei demanded.

"A deity!" Koenma snapped back, pointing to the huge 'Jr' on his forehead. Yukiei rolled his eyes.

"I thought deities knew everything." He sneered. "Clearly not."

"You are going to get me killed! You can't keep low to save your life and now my father wants you dead!"

Hina gasped.

"What?" Yukiei was taken aback. Kurama sat down, running his fingers thru his mane of red hair. So Enma knew... What would happen now?

"You should never have been brought back to life to begin with!... and I'm starting to think that neither should have you!" Koenma pointed a finger accusatively at Hina, as if this whole affair was her fault, "This whole thing was a horrible horrible mistake and now the pair of you will pay for it by my father's hands!"

"He knows?" Hina begged, afraid.

"About you? Not yet, but trust me, any day now! Any damn day now!" At this, Koenma whirled around, his cloak flapping in the wind as he wrenched the door back open and slammed it with such force that the doorknob rattled.

"That man, who was that man?" Yukiei demanded, "And who wants us dead?"

"That man was Koenma, Prince of Spirit World. He's the one who hired me, Hiei, Kuwabara, and Yusuke as Spirit Detectives. He's the one whose the entrepreneur for our team. He's the one who kept me and Hiei from going to prison... He's the one who thought to bring Hina back... and now? He's the one who warned you before it was too late that his father, King Enma is going to try and get rid of you." Kurama murmured thru his laced fingers.

Yukiei blanched.

He had dishonored this man.

"Wait here." Yukiei ordered his wife, throwing open the door and charging out into the night after Koenma. "Wait!" he shouted into the crisp night air at the retreating back, "Wait!"

"What?" Koenma shouted as he stormed down the lawn to where the Kekkai barrier sat waiting, "Haven't you done enough already!"

At this, Yukiei finally reached Koenma, halting him with a firm hand to the shoulder. The light blue warp of the kekkai barrier threw a deep shadow over both their faces. It was only now in the light that Yukiei could see that multiple bruises lined Koenma's cheeks. Bruises that Yukiei had not put there. Who had hurt this prince? Confused, he pressed on, intent on reclaiming his honor in this mans eyes.

"I wanted to apologize." Yukiei continued.

"Don't bother." Koenma's voice was broken. "You'll only end up angry with me again before this whole thing is thru." At this, he made to leave, but Yukiei held him fast.

"Before this whole thing is thru? Do you think that we'll be dead, come the rise of the sun?" Yukiei asked.

"We'd be lucky if we were." Koenma sighed. He closed his brown eyes, shaking his head. Something very dark was trouble the princes mind. The night swirled around them in beautiful prism colors of black, blue, and darkest purple and green. The light blue of the kekkai barrier crackled and popped, showing them in light blue glow.

Yukiei did not fully understand the world that he had been so unceremoniously thrown into. He did not fully trust the people that surrounded him, nor did he fully expect this situation to resolve peacefully. He would have to fight men he had no quarrel with, argue with men he had no clue about, and run from men he did not wish to evade just to keep is family safe.

What had the world come to?

"Stay."

Koenma looked at Yukiei as if an enormous spider were doing a salsa atop his head.

"Stay?" He repeated, confused.

"Stay here." Yukiei pointed to the dojo.

"What do you mean?" Koenma demanded.

"Stay here, where you can be protected." Yukiei added more.

"Protected from who?" Koenma tried to sneer, but failed.

"From your father."

Koenma's eyes widened with shock at the term. He looked away angrily, unwilling to let Yukiei see the hurt in his face.

"You may be Hiei's father, but you are not mine!" Koenma snapped.

"... I can see the fear in your eyes." Yukiei thought aloud, "A son should not have to fear his father."

"You think I shouldn't fear him..." Koenma's voice was but a whisper as he looked away. "He's a god."

"...I don't believe in god." Yukiei whispered. "Never done a thing for me, has he."

"I can't just leave my father, my home-!" Koenma's voice broke, and Yukiei was shocked to hear tears. How long had Koenma been dealing with this type of pain, alone without anyone to talk to, "You think it hasn't crossed my mind? How wonderful it would be to be free with my team? To be able to travel with them and see the world with them? All day long I have to sit behind concrete walls and dream of the world beyond. Do you have any idea what that does to a person?"

Koenma's feet unwillingly stepped forward. Yukiei gripped Koenma's hand tight.

They were frozen, both unwilling to back down.

"Stay."

Koenma looked over his shoulder at Yukiei, his almond eyes swimming as he looked back up at the dojo were merry golden lights twinkled warmly thru the cold night. It would be lovely to stay in a place like that instead of a cold concrete prison... But was that his destiny? Who made destiny? His father? Why then had his father allowed him to be so miserable? ...Unless his father was not truly god. But then, who was god if not his father? And what did they think of all that Koenma had allowed to happen? Life and death had been swirled in a cosmic cup, and Koenma knew the repercussions for Yukiei and Hina being reunited would be disastrous.

"...He'll kill you." Koenma whispered, his eyes on the starry heavens, "He'll kill Hina. He'll kill _me." _

Yukiei looked up at the starry sky. What had he learned in death? He could hardly even remember being dead... but what he did remember was something so beautiful and precious, he knew all the torture and pain that life bring could not dull the memory. White pure light, more loving and warm than all the suns in paradise. Smiles, laughter, and joy. Someone holding him tightly, so glad to have him home. Someone telling him about all the good things that would come. Someone holding his hand, a symbol of them never being parted again.

"Koenma... if you knew what death was like... you'd throw yourself under a bus." Yukiei's eyes roved the beautiful twinkling sky.

It was the truth.

Koenma bit down a laugh.

It was good to smile in moments like these.


	22. Mother In the Fire

_**(We're getting close to the end guys... I hope that everyone has enjoyed the ride so far. These next few chapters are going to be jam packed with action, sorrow, resolve, and anger. I hope that everyone has a good time, and is ready for the wild end to 'Mother In the Fire'... Yes, there will be a sequel called 'Babies Blood'. Also, I am working on my first ever slash fanfiction 'Soul' which will feature Hiei/Kurama/Yusuke/Kuwabara. Yes, all four of them. No, drugs were not involved. So here we go! **_

_**(Scene Break) **_

Koenma settled in rather well after he got over his pride. Botan was overjoyed to see him join the party, as were Yusuke and Kuwabara. After all, for all of his quirks, Koenma had stood by their sides during the final leg of the Dark Tournament, and had not once given up on their powers and prospects. It was because of Koenma that Kurama and Hiei had been given second chances. It was because of Koenma that Yusuke and Kuwabara had found purpose in life. He was, in many ways, the center of their oddities.

The weeks rolled by, giving new life as spring came into play. Birds filled the trees, flowers sprung up every few feet, and Buson seemed to keep growing much to Hiei's dismay and Yukina's delight. The black lab ran rampant, tearing up vegetable patches and chewing on shoes till Hiei had all but threatened to 'roast him' for bad behavior. After a thorough tongue lashing from Keiko and Yukina for such an 'awful' idea, Buson had been given the next best thing. A leash.

It was late morning on the day that everything began to change.

Yukiei and Kuwabara were out on the front lawn of the dojo, sparring. This had become a regular occurrence since Kuwabara had all but begged on his knees for Yukiei's permission to date Yukina. It turned out that Yukiei was even harder to impress than Hiei, and Kuwabara had been forced to train under his hands until he met his expectations. It had become a crowd gatherer, and now in the shade of the porch many people sat and watched.

"Keep your hands up!" Yukiei shouted, punching left and right as Kuwabara danced to avoid getting hit. "Keep you hands up! What are _you doing?" _Yukiei demanded outraged as Kuwabara all but fell down.

"I'm-" Kuwabara could hardly find the breath, "I'm keeping my hands up!"

"No you're not!" Yukiei snarled. Just for good measure he smacked Kuwabara hard on the chin to prove his point, "No you're not! What are you doing?"

"Keep your hands up!" Hiei shouted from the porch, outraged. He knew Kuwabara could do better. Why was he faulting _now? _

"No!" Yukiei round house kicked Kuwabara to the face which Kuwabara ducked in the last seconds. "Don't drop your head when you duck! Bring your hands to your head not the other way around! _What do you think this is? A boxing match?" _

Kuwabara was growing frantic as he fought. It seemed that he simply didn't have the form to compete with Yukiei or even meet his orders. Hiei felt rather sorry for his carrot topped friend.

"You keep hitting me!" Kuwabara shrieked.

"Hit me back!" Yukiei demanded outraged.

"You'll kill me!" Kuwabara looked genuinely terrified at the prospect. On the porch, Yusuke doubled over in snorting laughter.

"Cry baby!" Yukiei jeered, towering over Kuwabara with a haughty glare, "My master lashed me at least three times a day! My back looked like canvas when he was done!"

He said it as if this was a grand accomplishment.

"This is true." Hina confirmed from the porch where she sowed up holes in Hiei's white scarf, "I can't tell you how many healing charms I did on his back."

"Why did father's master hit him?" Yukina asked, confused. She held the rest of the scarf in her nimble hands, playing with the loose threads she found there.

"That's what men do. They hit each other."

"But that makes no sense!" Yukina was utterly lost by this point.

"It does to men." Hina comforted her daughter, rather lost herself. Could she explain it? No. But the fact of the matter was, Yukiei's master seemed determined to lash the stuffing out of him in order to beat out all sorts of ideas: tyranny, pride, greed, masturbation- as if that ever worked.

"Hit me!" Yukiei shouted, bopping Kuwabara for every sentence, "Hit me! Hit me or I'll hit you!"

"Hit him in the face!" Hiei was elated with the entire game, looking more alive than he'd been in years, "Right in the face!"

"Hiei, that's not the point-" Kurama attempted to bring reason to the table but Hiei wouldn't hear a word of it.

"RIGHT IN THE FACE!" He shrieked, jumping up and down a little as he punched a bandaged hand in the air.

Kuwabara seemed to think that Hiei was talking to _him. _Without warning he launched back and punched Yukiei hard in the chin. Kuwabara gasped, horrified.

"I am so sorr-" But Yukiei punched him back so that Kuwabara all but fell over mid sentence.

"Very good." Yukiei complimented, "But next time punch with your thumb out. You'll break your thumb if you keep it tucked in."

Kuwabara looked at his fist, and then back at Yukiei. With resolved determination, he punched again, hard. They soon were blowing at each other with the force of small typhoons.

Koenma sat on the edge of the porch next to Kurama, looking rather bored at the lewd display of manliness.

"Mindless slaughter." Koenma grumbled, "Is this your type of amusement?"

"Hardly." Kurama scoffed, hard at work on a puzzle. He tapped his chin with his pen, deep in thought.

"What are you doing?" Koenma asked, looking over Kurama's shoulder to see.

"A sudoku." Kurama smiled back up at Koenma, nudging him so that Koenma was forced to stop leaning on Kurama's shoulder, "What are _you _doing?"

Koenma sighed, drawing his knees up to his chest, "I'm counting the minutes I have left to live before my father kills me."

Kurama didn't know whether to comfort Koenma, or shrug the comment off. Instead he opted for humor.

"What number are you on now?" He joked.

"Around 214." Koenma joked back.

"Better start living then." Kurama sing songed, scratching off two more lines of his sudoku.

Back on the grounds, Yukiei and Kuwabara were punching so hard that the pair of them were locking dirt clean out of the ground.

"I think I've got this!" Kuwabara chanted as he punched and punched. Yukiei dodged each blow successfully.

"I know you've got this! One more! One more! One more and we'll call it quits!" Yukiei promised, but Kuwabara was a hard client.

"Yeah right!"

"One more and you can date my daughter." Yukiei added, dead serious. A look of elation flitted across his face, and with extreme gusto, Kuwabara landed a punch. Yukiei was knocked clean off his feet, and slammed into the ground kicking up dirt and grass in his path.

"Alright!" Kuwabara cheered, punching a fist in the air. Yukiei crawled back to his feet, brushing dirt off from inside the folds of his plated armor. Yukiei scowled.

"Just for that, you can't date her ever again!" Yukiei snapped, irritably. Kuwabara's face fell, looking as if Christmas had been canceled.

Yukiei shook out the dirt out of his clothes, cracking his neck as he left Kuwabara behind in the grass. Hina straightened up a little in her chair, sensing that Yukiei was tired of sparring and was moving on to his next tact point. She had known this was coming, but that hadn't made this moment any easier. She wanted to hold him forever, to never have to be parted with him again... but Yukiei was right. Hiei needed to see his birthright. It might very well change Hiei's viewpoints on family and home. It might give him the peace that he needed.

She wished she could go with him.

Yukiei walked up the steps past Kurama, Koenma, and Hiei (he slapped him gently on the shoulder as he passed). Yukina and Hina paused in their needlework as Yukiei bent down, staring into Hina's eyes.

"Yes..?" Hina asked quietly, a grim smile upon her normally joyful lips.

"I'm leaving with Hiei for the homeland." Yukiei spoke softly, running his padded fingertips over her own soft palms. It felt pleasantly ticklish. "I'm just letting you know."

"Thanks." Hina's voice was sarcastic. "Anything else you'd like to 'let me know'?"

"...You have a bug in your hair." He kissed her chastely and pulled it out. The firefly fluttered away, grumpy at being tousled.

"...Fine.." Hina sighed. "Go and take him on this crazy adventure, see what becomes of it."

"Didn't I tell you to lay low?" Koenma spoke up from the steps.

"Didn't I tell you to hush?" Yukiei snapped, never taking his eyes off his wife.

"My father will kill you." Koenma snapped loudly.

"I quiver with fear." Yukiei grinned, rolling his scarlet eyes. Yukina stifled a tiny laugh.

"You think he'll just let Yukina and Hiei slip under the radar?" Koenma demanded, "He'll probably kill all four of you!"

Yukiei froze, his eyes locked on his wife's. Yukiei said nothing to that, pressing another chaste kiss to her lips.

"... Let him try." Yukiei's voice was deathly serious. Indeed, let Enma try to attempt to harm his family. He would be a dead man for it. "Hiei?"

Yukiei looked over his shoulder to see his son standing at the ready.

"Father." Hiei waited.

"It's time." Yukiei rose up, taking Hina with him. Yukina stood up after mother and father, and the four of them made their way down the steps.

"Goodbye Yukiei! Goodbye Hiei!" Botan cried out from the open window to the kitchen. "Have a good trip!"

Hiei flicked her the bird.

The four of them walked down the dojo steps, turning left to follow their pathway thru the forests under the hilly terrain. The dew was cool under their feet and Yukiei constantly brushed small tree limbs out of the way so that his wife and daughter could climb thru without getting dew all over their hair and clothes. They carried small rucksacks of thick canvas, full of things Yukiei and Hiei would need on their road back to Rytonia. Hiei (unknowingly to the others) had also brought along a pocket mirror just in case an emergency arose and he needed to get into contact with Yusuke or Kurama quickly.

As they stumbled down the last wet stone steps, they arrived to the base clearing where the kekkai glowed a light blue in the dark undergrowth. The ring of stones that surrounded the entire barrier were warm with the light that fell off the gentle hues of the rippling energy. Yukina sighed, slightly worn out from the walk. She handed her ruck sack to Hiei who accepted it gratefully and slung it over his back, kissing his sister softly on the cheek and hugging her tightly with one arm.

"Please be safe." Yukina murmured into his chest.

"I will be." Hiei assured her, ruffling her aqua hair coyly.

"Do everything your father says." Hina handed her own rucksack to Yukiei, who shouldered it with ease. She took Hiei's newly repaired scarf, tucking it gently around her sons neck. "Your home land is a very dangerous place."

"I will." Hiei smiled at his mother.

"And remember... You are our son." Hina continued, "And we love you. This will be good for you to bond with your father."

"Bond. Like dried blood?" Hiei's lip curled in confusion at the word.

"... Just like dried blood." Hina pursed her lips, shaking her head. It was an awful analogy, but if it was the one that Hiei wanted to use, then so be it.

"Have fun out there." Hina added to Yukiei as her son and husband made their way to the threshold of the barrier.

"You make it sound like it's an amusement park." Yukiei joked.

"For people like you and I? It is." Hina nodded. Yukiei paused, looking pensive.

"...Goodbye." Yukiei whispered. He would remember this sight forever. Till the day he died. The sight of Hina staring at him thru the cool blue hue of kekkai. She looked like an angel... like a fallen star in a beautiful lagoon. Everything about his moment was perfect. Everything was peaceful.

"No." Hina smiled, "Not goodbye... See you soon."

"See you soon." Yukiei agreed. He kissed her one last time, reveling in the warmth of her lips, in the tender coolness of her cheeks and hair... the woman he'd given his life to... the woman who'd given him her body for his children. How could he explain in words how precious she was?

"See you very soon." Hina sighed.

Yukiei clasped Hiei firmly on the shoulder, the pair of them looking back at Hina and Yukina. The girls smiled, bowing respectfully. In the blue hue of the cool undergrowth, Yukiei and Hiei turned way, facing the barrier... and all that lay beyond.

The pair of them clasped hands, tightened their grips on their rucksacks, and... before they could loose their nerve... they jumped!

_**(Many moments later) **_

It happened so fast that Yukiei's stomach flipped. They barreled thru the barrier, head first, unable to slow down or see where they were going. It was like going thru a roller coaster in the dead of night, being flipped, tossed, turned, and spiraled out of control without any notion of where you were or _who _you were! But then there was light! Sharp, hot, light, and the smell of fresh blood that rolled over Yukiei's nostrils like the scent of a heavenly flower. The red sky loomed overhead, and below them the Forest of Fools stretched on and on.

As they fell down, Yukiei pulled upward so that he and Hiei would land feet first. The earth was rushing up to meet them! He braced for impact! They crashed into the trees, nearly breaking their necks as they landed in the top of the high green canopy. After much cursing and de-tangling from the upper brush, Yukiei and Hiei managed to make their way to the ground.

Yukiei knew that they needed to get out of the Forest of Fools as soon as possible. Hiei followed his father as the pair of them trekked thru the undergrowth, running at times and walking at others as they grew closer and closer to the edge of the rough terrain. The problem with falling out of the sky and into a tree was that people on the ground tended to notice, and Yukiei had to draw out his sword more than once in order to defend himself as the waded thru the muck of low class low skill demons.

By the time they were on the other side, they were covered in blood and smelt like a morgue. Any other time it would have been fine with the two men, but in a place where smell was as good as sight, they needed to wash off the scent and quickly. They found a spring near the base of the Forest of Fools, and after a quick wash off they began their long and arduous journey into the Valley of Vagabonds.

There was hardly any cover, save for a few trees and enormous rocks that cut thru the way. As the blood red sun began to set against a darkened sky, the pair of them walked side by side, father and son, their eyes focused on the horizon. Night drew upon them fast, and as soon as it was black they made camp in the crook of two boulders. Content with their cover, they slept back to back, taking advantage of the quiet dell.

They awoke the next morning bright and early. Wasting no time, they made quick work of breakfast and headed out on foot thru the Valley of Vagabonds. They passed thru several small villages, most of whom let them carry on in peace. Small children would squall at their feet, laughing and running to catch up with them as they poked their rucksacks and asked foolish questions such as 'Where are you going' and 'Are you a samurai' or 'Can we go with you'.

Hiei watched one particular boy help his father tend to the demonic three headed sheep out by a pasture, noting with slight jealousy that the boy was riding on his father's back, only a few years old and without a single care in the world. How was it that some people got lucky and other's were left in the slums?

After a few days of trekking on foot thru village infested areas, Yukiei found himself thinking aloud.

"We need horses." He spoke up. Hiei looked at him, confused.

"Why?"

"Because as men of the sword, it is beneath us to travel on foot." Yukiei explained. They were coming upon another village in the hills, one that looked promising for purchase. They broached the near end of the village where a few horses were stabled. Yukiei came around the fenced perimeter to find an opening full of gravel and chopped up metal at the base of a large and ornate doorway thru which a black beast could be seen smacking a white hot rod with a thick hammer. He had two enormous horns that towered over his head, curling into sharp points that glistened darkly in the evening sun.

His work space was cluttered but not unkempt, full of metal yet to be welded and base swords that were being designed. Right next to his 'office' stood his house, with bright daisies in a window box and laughter coming from the inside. Hiei thought he heard a woman calling out 'bath time!' and knew that children must be inside. Once again, he was shown the image of a family untouched by disease and poverty. He wondered why it was that his own family was lost..

The man paused in his hammering, looking over his shoulder to see Yukiei and Hiei standing outside his gate. Yukiei bowed, and Hiei followed suit, not wanting to leave his father unimpressed. The blacksmith bowed his horned head in respect.

"A samurai?" He laid down his well knotted hammer, releasing the fire clutch on his welders bench so that the sword on which he worked began to dull from white hot to cherry red. "Two samurais!" He added, coming out of his office to dust off his sooted leather apron. He was a massive man, covered with thick black fur that glistened from specks of metal. "It seems I have my work cut out for me today."

"We are in need of horses." Yukiei explained, "Two."

"Come with me." The man gestured for them to follow with a clawed hand. Hiei and Yukiei followed in his wake, leaving the gravel path for a well beaten dirt trail that lead behind the blacksmiths cavern into warm and well kept stables full of sweet hay and fine oak barriers in between which lovely horses relaxed. "I have Srinagar, Yarkend, and Karashar for breeds." The man explained.

"... I've never owned a horse." Hiei admitted, "How should I know which one to pick?"

The man, sensing Hiei's wariness, took them to the far corner of the stables were a short black pony with a wild red main snorted and stamped the ground with huge flat hooves. "Srinagar are good for mountain travel, but they have a hard mouth and an uncertain temper. This kind of horse can ride right over the mountains as if it's just strolling down the block. They are excellent expedition horses. They're invaluable on long journeys."

The Srinagar snorted as if in disgust at the thought of being owned. Hiei sneered back. Clearly this was not the horse for him.

"What about this one?" Hiei asked, pointing to a dappled orange pony with a long white tail. Rather speckled the pony threw back it's long head, proud and excited to see new faces.

"It's a Yarkend. It can carry about two hundred pounds on it's back... they're pack horses, so they have to be bought in pairs."

The Yarkend stuck it's face out from it's trough, it's bulging eyes seeking out it's masters face. The blacksmith fetched an apple from a barrel full of fruit, and laid it flat on it's palm for the beast to eat.

"Wow." Hiei murmured to himself.

"They're good for men who weigh a heavier size. I don't recommend them for you or your companion. You won't have that problem." the blacksmith grinned. "Unlike me."

"And this?" Hiei pointed to a breed at the opposite end of the stables where many horses with large hook nosed heads sat, flicking their tails and snorting.

"Karashar. These horses are prized throughout our world... They're sent as tribute to the three kings of the Demon world. They're extremely strong animals, twelve or thirteen hands high... with powerful chests, necks, large hook nosed heads. They have a well built gate too." The blacksmith complimented. Yukiei nodded his head.

"These are the horses we desire. Two Karashar." Yukiei confirmed.

"As you wish. Do you desire riding equipment as well?"

"I have my own. My son on the other hand does not." Yukiei smiled down at Hiei. "However, I plan on granting him many things once we arrive at our destination. Just two horses." Yukiei reconfirmed. He fetched a large leather pouch from his pocket, throwing it to the blacksmith who caught it with a firm grip.

"Take your pick." The blacksmith smiled broadly, tucking Yukiei's gold away.

"Which one would you like?" Yukiei asked Hiei. Hiei stared up at his father, confused.

"Me?"

"You."

"...I've never owned a horse before." Hiei explained, "I've never owned an animal before... till Buson."

Yukiei nodded in memory of the young black lab that ran amok on Genkai's grounds, causing mayhem among the flowers.

"You want a horse that's good for your height. What about this one?" Yukiei raised a hand to a rather short Karashar that stamped it's mighty hooves on the ground creating a tiny cloud of dust. It looked vicious. Hiei shook his head.

"Too short." He grumbled.

"This one?" Yukiei offered the horse next to the first, which looked thin and slender compared to it's fellows. There was something feminine about this horse. Something... innocent. Naive.

"It looks weak somehow." Hiei shook his head.

"What about this one." The next horse down was practically foaming at the mouth, glaring vilely at Hiei. Hiei shrank back, appalled.

"I shouldn't have to fight my own horse for dominance!" Hiei snapped.

"Agreed." Yukiei turned away from the three horses, looking onward. Hiei passed from stable to stable, looking at each horse in turn. He noticed that the last stable seemed to be empty. Curious, Hiei investigated it to find a horse with it's back to the gate. Hiei knocked gently on the wood, and the horses ears flicked curious. It looked around.

It was a lovely creature.

It was a jet black, sleek and well built. It's main was striped with soft silver... It's eyes were a glowing crimson.

"Hmm" Hiei slid open the lock from the gate, slipping inside and locking it back. In the crisp hay, the horse slowly turned around, flicking its tail at an irksome fly. Hiei realized the horse had been eating when he 'knocked', and took an apple from a barrel outside the gate. He offered it up in his hand just as the blacksmith had done, and was shocked when the horse cantered forward with powerful legs, pulling back it's gums to show block like teeth. It took the apple in one solid bite, chewing the whole thing before swallowing it. Hiei had never seen something so strange and awe inspiring. He touched the horses cheek and it jerked a little.

Hiei took off the white bandage covering his jagan, his curiosity getting the better of him. He did not know whether or not this might work... but he had to try. His jagan glowed a bright green, the changed color from what used to be purple before the Jagan Bomb had altered everything. Reaching out as slowly as he could, Hiei attempted to touch the horses mind. The horse looked spooked at first, it's eyes wide and full of confusion.

"_...Friend..." _Hiei whispered thru his jagan. He didn't know if the horse understood him at first, for the beast merely stared at him shocked. But, slowly, the horse seemed to relax, moving forward again to nuzzle Hiei with it's enormous face. Hiei threw caution to the wind, carrying on.

"_Come with me. Be my friend." _

The horse pawed at the ground, jerking it's head up and down. Hiei grinned from ear to ear, positively delighted. He didn't care how foolish he looked, for when he turned around his father was waiting for him on the other side of the gate, grinning right back.

]"A strong steed to be sure." Yukiei looked on inquisitively. He turned to the blacksmith who was relaxing on a large barrel of hay with ease. "How old is he?"

"Six years old." The blacksmith confirmed, "A good age for a horse like him."

"Is he healthy?" Yukiei asked.

"All my horses are." The blacksmith assure him.

Hiei stroked the beasts nose, pressing his own cheek tight to the horses' enormous one. He smiled wearily, content to have found a friend that did not need to ask him pesky questions, that did not need to be convinced of his good intentions or his innocence. Perhaps that was the beauty of the relationship between horse and master. Upon pressing it's wet nose to Hiei's cheek, Hiei jumped.

"I'll take him." Hiei was certain of his choice.

"Very good! Bring him out!" The blacksmith laughed, throwing Yukiei a pair of hard leather reigns. Yukiei opened the stable door, coming inside to help the horse swallow the bite and take the reigns over it's pointed ears.

Hiei could not help from grinning like a fool. His father lowered his rucksack to the ground, pulling out a thick blanket from the inside. Folding it in half, he laid it across the steeds back, smoothing it flat with certain hands. Yukiei nodded, convinced his son had made the right choice. The horse even _looked _like Hiei, which was a little unnerving.

"I guess it's up to me to take a horse." Yukiei momentarily let his eyes wander away from his son, gazing up and down the stables of remaining Karashar. Some horses were too tired. Some were downright haughty. Some seemed to be content to hide in the back of their stables... only one stood out to him. A fine beast, with a dusty black coat. It's main was cropped, drawn up tight in several small buns that lined it's neck. It had a long white diamond down the front of it's nose, punctuated by a white starburst that dissolved into his clean 'hair cut'. Yukiei traveled inside the stable to find that the horse was waiting as if expectantly.

"I'll take this one." Yukiei checked the horses knees to see that they were firm, opening it's mouth with gentle hands to check it's teeth. The insides of it's ears looked healthy. It's eyes were bright and clear.

"Ah." The blacksmith looked disappointed as Yukiei brought the horse out of it's stable. "That was one of my favorites! Very well... What shall you call him?"

Yukiei did not have to think that one over.

"Senbi." Yukiei joked. "For 'stern'. Doesn't he have a grave look about him? Such a serious horse!" Yukiei patted Senbi with a firm hand, fetching his own riding gear from deep within his rucksack. It took several minutes to lay the blankets upon Senbi's back, place the bite within his mouth, and fix the horse with it's saddle. Senbi did not look too thrilled about being mounted, but bore it well. "What shall you call your beast, Hiei?"

He grinned as his son shrugged.

"Uma." Hiei said shortly.

"You're going to call your horse 'horse'?" The blacksmith laughed. "As you wish, it's yours now."

Hiei needed no help in mounting his horse, using the top of a stable door like a pole for jumping as he braced the horses back. He looked delighted at the idea of riding and clenched the reigns with a tight fist.

"Have you ever ridden before?" Yukiei asked, slightly concerned. Enthusiasm was one thing, outright frivolity was another. Hiei might hurt himself.

"Nope!" Hiei didn't seem too concerned, but the blacksmith stepped up to help.

"Keep your hands low when you hold the reigns... about level with your hips on the horses neck." The blacksmith instructed, "Sit up straight. If you slump it will throw Uma off balance. Make sure your heels are pointed _down!" _the blacksmith added warily. "That's extremely important."

"Right, right." Hiei was not listening. Yukiei could sense certain doom. Changing his energy, Yukiei urged Senbi forward and the horse followed obediently. Fixing Hiei's rucksack upon his back, Yukiei doubled the knotted strap around Hiei's chest for safety and re adjusted his sons grip on the reigns.

"Anata no uma o arigatō" Yukiei bowed a little in his saddle and Hiei followed suit.

"Ningen banji saiou ga uma" The blacksmith replied. Yukiei smiled. With a click of his reigns, Yukiei took off, out the front of the stables. Hiei followed suit at a much faster pace, and Yukiei had to snap the reins hard to catch up to his son who was all but flying across the valley!

"Pace your horse well!" Yukiei shouted the warning over the wind as they charged out of the Valley of Vagabonds, heading straight for the mountains... on the other side of which lay Rytonia... "Ride with pride! Not like a hoodlum!"

"This is amazing!" Hiei was _laughing _as if he was only three years old, overjoyed at the new experience, "This is easy! This wonderful!" he laughed aloud as he gaited forward, riding as if he'd done so for a hundred years. Yukiei was thoroughly impressed with his son.

They rode side by side, heading for the blackening clouds in the southern sky. It would take only one more day of riding... and then... _Home. _

_**(On the other side of the barrier) **_

Yukina and Hina sat side by side, their backs to a large oak tree on which many talismans for peace and prosperity hung. In the cool night wind, the pair of them shared a glass of warm sake. __

The deep blue hues of their surroundings were paralleled by the gentle light given off by the kekkai barrier that seemed to hum as it flowed. Hina looked up to the starry sky, sparkling with diamonds... The black outline of the trees only made it more serene.

"It is a beautiful night, no?" Hina whispered. Yukina said nothing.

"You're father and brother will return soon." Hina continued on, "Do not fret."

"... I wish I could have gone too." Yukina nursed her glass of sake, miserable.

"Oh Yukina." Hina sighed, putting an arm around her daughter and drawing her close. "That world would have been the death of you. It nearly was of me. It's too hot. Too battle strewn. We women were meant for a colder, calmer place."

"...Our race was meant for hell." Yukina whispered, coldly. Hina met her daughters eyes, with an unspoken agreement.

"...How did you know you loved father...?" Yukina whispered, her eyes swimming with so much emotion.

Hina paused, taken aback.

"I looked into his eyes and saw everything I knew to be good and kind. I saw justice. I saw pride. I saw power. I saw truth." Hina whispered back.

"Did your father-" Yukina blanched, "Never mind."

Hina laughed aloud, "I think you mean to say, did my _mother_ like Yukiei?"

"...Yes." Yukina admitted, embarrassed.

"My mother knew that I had met a man. She knew that I had born his children. She held Hiei just as tenderly as she held you. I think she liked him, but in a way I think she wished I'd never met him. She knew what would come of such actions. They killed her. Just like they killed your father." Hina's face fell. For some reason, speaking about her own mother to her daughter made her feel like a child again. As if she needed her mother just as much as Yukina needed _her. _Did she? Even now after all this time?

"Why?" Yukina asked, shocked.

"Because she believed in love. In Yukiei. In your brother. That would never do." Hina whispered bitterly, hating her elders with all her soul.

Yukina looked from her mother's bitter face to the cool ground covered in mist and dew, to the heavens above her full of stars and mysteries she would never be able to solve.

"I've seen love. I know it's out there. But... somehow... every time I try to grasp it... I feel it slip farther and farther away. All I want is to find someone of my own. Who loves me for me. I want to be able to hold them without confining them. To love them without fearing them. To know them without hating them... but somehow I feel like it's impossible." Yukina whispered, her eyes on the stars. She had never opened this part of her soul up to anyone... but she felt as if her mother should be the one to know first.

Hina smiled wearily at her beautiful daughter, so full of wisdom.

"...Kuwabara might just feel the same way." Hina nudged Yukina playfully in the side at his name.

"Kazuma..." Yukina sighed, "Sometimes I wonder if he knows who I am. What I'm capable of. After all... I'm the race of koorime. My heart is cold."

Hina frowned, drawing her daughter into a tight hug. "Your grandmother's wasn't. Mine isn't."

"...But is mine."

The time had come to reveal what her own mother had revealed to her shortly before leaving their glacier village for the first time, "There's only one way to find out Yukina. You must look deep inside yourself. Deeper than you've ever looked before, and ask yourself a simple question. 'Can I love?'. You'll find the answer. I know I did."

Yukina and Hina huddled together, protecting each other from the cold...

... Inside... and out.

_**(On the fringe of the Valley of Vagabonds) **_

They'd camped on the very edge of the Valley of Vagabonds, at the top of a great mountain slope from a position where they could see every movement in the valley below. It was a prime spot to hide from crude thieves and wary scouts. Yukiei threw a few more branches on their fire, rubbing Senbi's back with firm hands. Uma had laid down on the ground, his long legs tucked underneath him. Hiei lay against Uma's belly, holding his white scarf in his hands. Sparks popped from their little fire, slowly drifting up into the heavens. Hiei looked up at the sky, seeing nothing but blackness...

It was as if someone had thrown a blanket over the sun. As if they were in a netherworld.

"I told you we would be able to talk... I think now is that moment." Yukiei murmured, his eyes roaming hungrily over his son. Sometimes it was all he could do to look at his son and not fall in love with all that his son had grown to be. He was so proud... So very very proud.

Hiei stared up at the sky, looking at a loss for words. What could he say to his father?

What could he say?

"... I grew up never knowing who you were. Only that you weren't there. But... At times I think I felt your presence. I tried to keep a code of honor. I tried to pursue things that were good and faithful. But I failed so often. I feel as if I dishonored our entire family." Hiei whispered, his ruby eyes still on the heavens.

Yukiei mulled that one over, pursing his lips in thought, "Dishonor is a terrible thing... but it's something you have never done. Dishonor does not come from making mistakes. It comes from making bad choices deliberately. I've seen dishonor tear families apart... ours will not fall victim to such sorrow."

Hiei's eyes slowly came back down to earth. They locked on the southern horizon, just over the tip of their camp, where Rytonia would lay waiting for them.

"..What is my home like?" Hiei asked, cautiously.

Yukiei smiled fondly at the memory. "A wild place, full of flame, and active volcanoes. The ground is extremely fertile. The people are stern but honorable. The food is hot. The beds are warm. The lights never quit shining. Rytonia is a beautiful place."

The thought made Hiei warm. Then again, he was laying next to a horse and right beside a fire. Perhaps he was just fooling himself... but he liked to think that the mere thought of Rytonia made him warm.

"Rytonia..." He said the name aloud, liking the way it sounded on his tongue.

"Rytonia." Yukiei repeated, "We'll be there in another rides travel... We'll honor our family, our traditions... You'll be shown the true customs of your people. Then, we'll return home."

"I'm glad." Hiei smiled.

"As am I."

Yukiei and Hiei met each other's eyes, their horses asleep and content. It was perhaps the most peaceful moment in Hiei's life.

"...Father." Hiei wondered if it was all a dream. If he would wake up any minute now and still be tied up to a chair in Tarukane's prison.

"Son." Yukiei smiled wearily. How often had he dreamed for a time like this? He'd imagined it well from the very first moment Hina had told him she was pregnant with twins, from the very second he knew that one of them would surely be a boy.

"Can men like us...love?" Hiei asked, his eyes slowly beginning to lower, heavy with sleep and bliss.

"Every man can love." Yukiei yawned, "It is what sets us apart... from the fiends... who can't..."

They were asleep before the last words fell from their lips.

_**(Inside Genkai's Dojo) **_

Kuwabara lay in his bed, staring up at the darkened ceiling. It was moments like these when he was truly free to think about Yukina. To not have to fear Yusuke taunting him, or Hiei threatening him, or Yukiei punching him. He rubbed his jaw tenderly where her father had whopped him upside the head. Would the day ever come when they could be together? What would it be like when he was sliding his hands over her porcelain skin? He was certain it would be like heaven. Anything with her would be like heaven.

Footsteps. Kuwabara raised an eyebrow, sitting up a little in his bed to see the shadow of someone outside his door. His knob turned- light from the hallway spilled into his darkened room, and someone slipped inside, closing the door tight and locking it.

"Yukina?" Kuwabara gaped, his heart in his throat. The snow maiden trembled slightly, falling to her knees by his bedside.

"I looked inside myself." Yukina whispered, "Deep inside myself. I can love."

Kuwabara blinked, smiling. "I've known that all along." He murmured. He leaned forward, about to embrace her, but Yukina seemed intent on other things. She kissed him full on the mouth, and Kuwabara's heart sang for joy. Her lips were like sweet snow. Her skin like beautiful china.

She fell into his arms, sliding into his lap. Every contour of her body fit his own, it was as if they were meant to be. They _were _meant to be.

She opened herself for the first time that night, and she was not disappointed.

_**(Scene Break) **_

The next morning, Hiei awoke to find himself alone in the camp sight. Senbi was standing off to the side, munching on grass. Uma was still underneath him, fast asleep. As Hiei sat up, Uma's ears twitched, and he snorted. Waking up, Uma rolled his legs out from under him, rising up with as much grace as a horse could muster. Flicking his long mane out of the way, he munched on the first grass he set his eyes on. Between Senbi and Uma the pair of them could probably flatten an entire plane. Who knew that horses ate so much? Perhaps Hiei should have brought that subject up when they were purchasing them yesterday.

Dusting the dew off his clothes, Hiei scanned let and right, seeing a small pond off to the side where, sure enough, his father was bathing. Intrigued, Hiei drew closer, curious when he saw an enormous and elaborate tattoo of a woman in a blazing fire clutching a babe. It was like artwork.

"Good morning." Yukiei did not even have to turn around to know that his son had risen.

"You wake up early too?" Hiei asked, for the sun was yet to even come over the horizon. It was perhaps five in the morning...

"A samurai must wake up before the sun... He must be aware of his surroundings long before they come to fruition. Leave nothing to chance, my son." Yukiei flung back his enormous mane of black hair, braided it with quick hands and tying it off in a clean udo knot. Hiei did not know what to say to that ticket of wisdom, so instead he stated the obvious.

"... You have a tattoo on your back." Hiei pointed out.

Yukiei looked over his shoulder, seeing the reflection of his tattoo in the water. He turned around and Hiei averted his eyes to his father's nakedness. It was rather bizarre to think that he _came _from this man. That this man was perhaps what Hiei would look like in the future.

"Traditionally, when men come of age they get a tattoo. Mine was of my families symbol. Your families symbol: A mother in the fire." Yukiei explained.

"A mother in the fire?" Hiei asked. "What does it mean?"

"...Have you ever heard the story _of _the Mother in the Fire?"

"No."

Yukiei stepped out of the pond, taking his clothes from the ground and dressing. Together, Hiei and Yukiei moved back to their campsite, scrounging up breakfast from their rucksacks. Yukiei started a pot of boiling water, using it to clean his sword and armor. As he worked, he spoke. Hiei listened intently, images flitting thru his mind as he listened to his father's enrapturing story.

"In a village, long before our time, there lived a mighty king whose empire prospered underneath a firm yet just law. You see, This king believed that every family should only have one child... But there were mothers who could not have children, and they longed for one, even so. The King's law could not be broken, however. It was in such a case that two women from rival clans met... a woman who had given birth, and a woman who could not. The woman who could not was a rich and greedy witch who longed for a child to whom she could push her legacy thru... but the mother said no... And refused to give the child up. The greedy witch decided to weave a plot, and convinced the king that she was the one who had given birth, that the mother had taken the babe from her and was claiming to be it's mother under false pretenses..."

Hiei bit his lip as the story continued, sensing where the story was going.

"The king unknowingly believed the lie. He ordered for both women to appear before him, along with the babe. The greedy witch spun her lie even further, weeping openly and beating at her breast, saying that the child was hers. The real mother cried out just as hard, begging the king not to take the child away from her. 'Anything, else.' she begged 'Even death'. The king made a bargain under his firm law." Yukiei met Hiei's eyes as he continued on. "He said that instead of parting the babe from it's true mother, he would give both women the child. They were confused until he brought forth a golden saw, and ordered for the babe to be cut in half. It was then that the true mother showed herself. The true mother flung herself between the babe and the saw, screaming out for herself to be cut in half. The false mother had been too afraid to step before the king... and so the king knew who was telling the truth. In that moment, the greedy witch was banished from the mighty kingdom... and the babe was reunited with it's true mother unharmed. But the king wanted to teach a lesson. He knew that a greater teaching had to be shown in light of this tragedy. So he ordered for the mother and her babe to be put in the fire. They burned to death. But together."

Hiei had never heard such a story. The fact that it was tied in so deeply with his own families history made him love it even more. But he had to know... so many burning questions were in his mind...

"Why, though?" Hiei asked, "Why subject yourself to such a painful death?"

"Because that was her child. Because she loved her babe more tenderly than any other before her... You're just a young man, my son. You have yet to experience the joy of children. But, I assure you, the moment you do... everything will change. That is why my families symbol is the Mother In the Fire. Because the woman is the queen of heaven, and protects us always with her love. Even though her body has long since been scattered as ashes... she still lives in each one of us, pushing us to protect, regardless of the pain that might come." Yukiei thought of his own death. Thought of the terrible cold that had run him clean over. That had broken his spirit and put out his flame. Had it been torture? Yes. Would he do it again for Hiei, Yukina, or Hina? In a heartbeat.

"The Mother in the Fire was your great great great great great grandmother." Yukiei counted off the greats on his fingers. "And her blood runs thru your veins. Her willingness to die for love, for family, is inside of you. It's the reason for everything you do, whether you know it or not."

"Just like you and mother." Hiei commented, smiling.

"Exactly like me and your mother." Yukiei said with great pride. For a moment or two, the pair of them sat side by side as the sun rose over the horizon. Their horses whinnied in the field, ready to ride. Yukiei looked down at Hiei smiling at the pondering look of curiosity on his face.

He kissed Hiei on the forehead. Hiei blanched, surprised.

"Come. We ride to our home. Rytonia is waiting!" Yukiei stood up and offered Hiei a hand. Together, the pair of them gathered their things and cleaned up their campsite and mounted both their horses. Senbi cantered, ready to roll. Uma was all but jumping, his front hooves prancing on the ground.

"Let's ride!" Yukiei shouted. "_Hya!" _He flicked his reigns and they were off! Hiei and Yukiei charged forward, leaving the last of the Valley of Vagabonds behind as they came over the final hill. The soil turned from rich and green to a soft dusty brown. The volcanoes blossomed over the horizon as the sky turned from red to black above them. Ashes were under their horses feet, and the thick powder filled the air as Senbi and Uma carved the ground with their powerful hooves.

But the scenery was nothing compared to the amazing heat... The heat was incredible! The heat was perfect! It charged Hiei right to the brim, as if someone had plugged him into the wall for the first time since he'd been born! Never _ever _before in his life had he felt this sort of heat... so raw and so pure!

"Do you feel that my son!" Yukiei shouted over the wind that roared in their ears, "Do you feel that incredible heat?"

"Yes!" Hiei cried out, grinning from ear to ear, "I do!"

They knew when they'd arrived in Rytonia. The earth finally turned to hard black, and the only light came from the flaming volcano where lava spilt down it's sides into pools of bright red. They cheered out as their horses came around the side of the volcano, finally crossing into Rytonia soil for the first time in six hundred years. Villagers were at the base of the volcano, harvesting the gleaming black rock and collecting the lava in thick carved bowls. They bowed to them in respect as they passed. Yukiei could not resist himself. He called out a war cry, shouting it to the sky like an eagle as he stood right up in his saddle, throwing his hands into the air. Hiei laughed, for he'd never seen his father so excited. So happy... So alive.

As they came down the side of the volcano, Hiei saw Rytonia for the first time in his life. The entire village was splayed out in the base of a valley completely covered in darkness. The only light came from thick torches on the highest spires of towers, or in street lamps that lined the darkened allies. The houses were carved out of the same black rock that Hiei had seen the villagers collecting. The people were dressed in elaborate clothing of red, black, grey, and white. Their hair black with white markings that came down their face. It was as if Hiei had been cloned, and an entire village had sprung up. Who knew that such a place existed? Yukiei lead his son thru the high village, and they passed by several large mansions were wrote iron gates locked out the crowds thronging the streets. These must be were rich families lived..! They were coming over a hill, they were turning right! Hiei gasped as Yukiei took them down a smaller, more richly furnished lane full of flame in large marble goblets on the street, at the end of which an enormous house sat on the hill with iron gates. Could this be-!

"...I am home." Yukiei halted his horse, and Hiei slowed up at once.

"We are home."

Inside the gates, a massive goblet in the middle of a courtyard was licked with bright cherry red flames. In the middle, a marble statue of a woman holding a babe was erected high... the Mother in the Fire.

_**(End Scene) **_

_**Well. We're officially 2/3rds done. There will only be a few more chapters after this... I think probably 25, including an epilogue. The ending is DEFINITELY in sight... and if you did like this story, get ready because there IS a sequel called 'Babies Blood' which is coming. **_

_**So now you see where the title comes from? :D Just for backup, the story I gave for 'Mother in the Fire' is based loosely off the Chinese fable of 'The Two Mothers'. So are you ready for the end? Are you ready for the end? ARE YOU READY FOR THE END? Come on, review and let me hear it! ;D **_


	23. All In The Family

_**Hey, guys! It's me- WAIT WAIT! (dodges shoe, rotten fruit, and empty glass) Let me explain! I've been really busy! WAIT-! (dodges a cabbage, a doorknob, and moldy flowers) Just let me- WAIT! (dodges a candle stick, but gets hit over the head with a pipe wielded by Reviewer Jessica. Crashes to the ground, knocked out) **_

_**(Scene Break) **_

For a moment or two, Yukiei and Hiei merely stared at the manor, tall and gleaming in the torchlight of the massive fiery goblet at it's base. The statue in the fire looked down on them with eerie eyes, and Uma whinnied reproachfully, stomping his hooves as if to say _'Are we moving or not?'. _Hiei looked to his father for that answer. Yukiei's deep red eyes were full of longing; so much longing that it was almost painful. Yukiei gently clicked the reigns of his horse, and the pair of them moved forward past the wrought iron gates. The clatter of the horses hooves on the cobblestone below seemed to be causing a stir in the manor before them. Lights were popping on, and Hiei paused in the force of habit. Should he be cautious? Who was inside? Was this a safe place to be?

"Is this really _our _house?" Hiei asked warily, looking left and right from the darkened stables with fiery red archways to the back-gates of what surely must have been a rock garden.

"Yes it is." Yukiei whispered, his voice thick with emotion. "My family has lived in this house for centuries. It should have been yours... What am I saying? It _is _yours. Soon as I die that is." Yukiei added bitterly.

Hiei nudged his father, trying to lighten the mood. "Didn't you just stop _being _dead?" He joked.

"Touche." Yukiei smiled bitterly. The pair of them halted, dismounting and loosening the reigns as they looked around for signs of life. At first Hiei thought that they might be out of luck, that Yukiei's family was either dead or perhaps had moved. But neither proved to be the case as up a flight of cobblestone steps a large door slowly groaned open. Two figures huddled in it's frame, peering around the edge with bony hands and wary eyes.

Yukiei halted in his tracks, his eyes wide. "...My god." He whispered, his voice hoarse. The two in the doorway moved forward into the light from the fire. A woman, old, grey, and thinning. A man, large and muscled, bulging with heavy leather straps and thick iron armor.

"Who is that?" Hiei asked, pointing to the woman. She was staring at the pair of them with shock.

"...My..." Yukiei lost his voice, and swallowed once or twice before he continued on. "My mother."

She was old, wane, and thinning. She might have been plump at one point in time; she had an unhealthy look about her... As if she'd undergone something terrible. Her hair must have been black in her youth, but now it grey and peppered. Many layers of red and black kimono covered her bony body. They were spiraled with beauty patterns of gold flowers and silver flames. She was clearly rich.

She stared at Yukiei with such longing and pain. Her baggy eyes lit up with hope. She gasped at the sight of him, her bony hands clasped over her thin mouth.

The man beside her was just the same. Thin and tall, but at the same time, he looked stronger. Broader in the chest and shoulders. His grey hair was combed back into a tight udo knot. His weary eyes were agog with confusion and excitement.

"Mistress Sukiei!" The man gasped, "Is that...? _Is that?" _

"Yukiei!" Mistress Sukiei wailed, running down the stairs. She nearly tripped as she ran to Hiei's father. Yukiei dropped his rucksack, embracing her tightly. The woman was overflowing with tears, sobbing so hard that her entire frame was shaking. Yukiei's eyes were pinched tight, a muscle in his jaw jumping from grief. "Yukiei!" She sobbed, "...How? _How? _I thought... I thought you were dead! I...I thought... I thought... I-"

She was all but hyperventilating, unable to take in good breath. "I thought I'd never see you again...!"

"Surprise." Yukiei whispered, his voice thick. Sukiei seemed unwilling to let go of him, even for a second. Hiei had no idea who she was in relation to Yukiei... only that whoever she might be, she loved him tenderly. He was reminded of Hina in that moment, and how tightly she had clung to him, as if nothing in the world had mattered when they were embracing. Hiei wondered if Sukiei was Yukiei's mother... Would that make her his grandmother?

"I love you..." Sukiei clung tight to Yukiei's armor, sniffling into his breastplate as happy tears slipped from her crinkled eyes. "So very very much."

Yukiei smiled, his greying cheeks flushing a bit. It was as if he'd been given a sorely wanted gift. "I love you too." He said it with delight. With curiosity. He'd not said it in a long time... not to Sukiei, it was clear.

"Oh Yukiei..." Sukiei pulled back, kissing Yukiei's cheek, "You've come home! And you've brought a friend!" Sukiei smiled tenderly at Hiei, who bowed respectfully, "But... Where is Hina? and where have you been all this time?"

Yukiei did not seem to know where to begin, so instead of explaining he just turned to Hiei.

"Ka-san" Hiei grimaced at the words. So she _was _Yukiei's mother. His paternal grandmother. "This... is Hiei..."

"Hello Hiei." His grandmother smiled at him, unaware of who he truly was, "It's so very good to meet you. My goodness you two could be father and son!" She laughed.

Yukiei stared at Sukiei, chewing a little on his lip. Sukiei stared from Yukiei to Hiei her laughter falling into a frown.

"What?" she asked, glancing between the pair of them.

It clicked.

"Oh my..." Sukiei's hands flew to her mouth again, as she stumbled out of Yukiei's arms, moving closer and closer to Hiei like a child to an amazing sight. "Oh my god... Yukiei... is this...?

"My son." Yukiei swallowed, "Yes."

Sukiei just stared. "..._My _grandson?"

"Yes."

Sukiei came closer, staring at Hiei in awe. "...My god." she whispered, reaching out with bony fingers to touch Hiei's cheek, "You look... just like me."

And truly, he did.

"He does, doesn't he?" Yukiei smiled proudly, "Acts just like you too." He rolled his eyes at this. Clearly Hiei did not only share Sukiei's _good _traits.

She embraced Hiei tightly, holding him close. Hiei had never been embraced by a grandparent, and did not know how best to react. Slightly shocked but determined to make a good impression, Hiei patted her awkwardly on the back. She drew back to looked Hiei up and down again. "...But... I don't understand... Yukiei." Sukiei was utterly lost. "There's so much that I don't understand."

Even though the three of them were lost in a family moment, the man on the steps was in a jolly mood. The muscled warrior bounded down the steps two at a time, clearly an athlete. He was tall, perhaps as tall as Bui, with dark mocha skin and bright gleaming eyes of red. He was bald, and thick black tattoos spiraled over his dome like fiery tendrils. He embraced Yukiei full on, and Hiei thought he heard several ribs crack.

"Yukiei?" The man laughed, shaking Yukiei back and forth.

"Makka?" Yukiei gasped out, prying himself from the giants grasp, "Makka!" They laughed, holding each other and slapping one another on the back like old friends. "Fucking hell you're huge!" Yukiei cursed, lost for words.

"Whose the big man now?" Makka taunted. "You still king of the castle?"

"Are Hikara and Umareta still here too?" Yukiei asked hopefully, his gaze bouncing from Makka to his mother. Hiei was lost. Who were Hikara and Umareta? Were they his aunts?

"Course they are." Makka grumbled, looking surly. "Don't you know once mold starts growing on the walls it never goes away?"

"Oh hush." Sukiei swatted Makka's arm reproachfully. "Hikara and Umareta are both _lovely _girls... and they have always been loyal to our family."

"Yeah yeah, if your definition of lovely is akin to moldy cheese." Makka rolled his eyes. They landed on Hiei. Makka smiled broadly at him. "So!" The beast let go of his father to shake Hiei's entire lower arm viciously. Hiei nearly lost his balance in the warm greeting, "You're Hiei? Allow me to introduce myself. I am Makka, protector of your clan and head guard of this estate." At this, Makka bowed low. "It is an honor to meet my future master."

"Master?" Hiei gaped, his jaw slack.

"Hiei, Makka's family has served ours for many generations." Yukiei smiled at his son, "It is an honor to assist the clan of a samurai."

"These are your horses?" Makka asked, grinning from ear to ear as he rose back up and petted their wet noses. Uma seemed hopeful for a treat, and Hiei rolled his eyes at the foolishness of his horse.

"They are." Yukiei agreed.

"I'll take them to the stables." Makka was quick with his work, drawing up both sets of reigns and clicking his big lips, urging the steeds forward into the gloomy din of the unused stables to the left of the manor.

"Very good Makka, and make sure they're comfortable!" Sukiei added gently. "...They're fine beasts." She smiled up to her son, wrapping one of her thin arms around his large ones. "Come, Hiei, Yukiei... Come home!"

The three of them walked up the steps of the manor, taking their time as Sukiei wheezed a little. She was old... very old... perhaps too old to be venturing outside. The enormous doors before them were ajar, and so the three of them slipped thru. It was almost pitch black on the inside, but with a snap of her bony fingers Sukiei produced a thin but brilliant flame in her palm. The entire room came into light, and Hiei's jaw dropped again for the third time that evening. It was a massive entrance chamber, full of mirrors that glittered in the flame light. The floors were polished marble, sporting a massive black and red coat of arms. The ceiling was adorned with an ornate chandelier. Sukiei took her tiny flame and lifted it high till the little ball of light left her palm, drifting upward with delicate grace. It landed on the chandelier, and the crystal prism sprung to life so that the entire room was aglow with warm bright light. Before them was another foyer with a beautiful spiraling staircase. To their left and right were sitting parlors were leather chairs crowded around massive fireplaces over-which beautiful portraits were hung. It was clear that their family was wealthy. Hiei felt uncomfortable and nervous. Never before had he been around such finery, and it was a shocking difference from the dirt and the trees he'd often called home. He found that while he respected his families estate he would have been much happier sleeping in a a tree, or perhaps lounging of Kurama's bed, watching him do homework.

Why was he thinking of Kurama?

The creaking of a door snapped Hiei from his thoughts. Two shapes were flitting about, and as they stepped into the light two women were shown. Both were tall, both were... well endowed... Both had black hair tied up in intricate knots. Both wore kimonos of red and silver. They were sisters. Hiei was certain of it. Their faces went from curious to utterly delighted as they landed their eyes of Yukiei.

"YUKIEI?" the shorter one on the left cried out.

"YUKIEI!" The taller one with much longer hair repeated. Both of them ran forward, their arms outstretched with twin similarity. They wrapped Yukiei up in their arms, squealing at him and doting upon him so that he burst into laughter, holding them both tightly.

"Hikara!" Yukiei gave the shorter one a tight hug, "Umareta!" He addressed the taller one with longer hair. "It's been far too long!"

"Where the hell have you been?" Hikara demanded, to the brink of happy tears as she smacked Yukiei playfully in the chest.

"We thought we'd never see you again!" Umareta wailed, hugging him tightly around the neck. Hiei was certain she was close to choking his father.

"Girls... Girls..." Sukiei tutted. The pair of them reproachfully let go. "Let him at least take off his armor."

They were back at it again.

"I'll help him!" Hikara had a look on her face like she'd enjoy helping Yukiei out of more than his armor, and expression her sister mirrored.

"No I'll help him-!"

"Hell no!" Hikara snapped, outraged at the competition, "_I'll _help him!" Hikara shoved her sister away, only to get shoved back as Umareta knocked her forward. Yukiei met Hiei's shrewd eyes, shooting him a private look which clearly said _'I'm sorry that they're ridiculous.' _

Hiei was reminded of Botan and Keiko.

"Girls." Sukiei did not have to raise her voice, but both Hikara and Umareta stopped their squabbling, their heads bowed and their hands behind their backs. They were servants after all, even with their ridiculous conversations. "Yukiei is not the only man to return home today." Sukiei waved a warm hand to Hiei, smiling tenderly upon him. Hiei thought inwardly that she looked angelic, "This is Hiei... my grandson." Sukiei said it in a whisper, her love clear in her voice.

"I didn't know you had a son, Yukiei!" Hikara gasped, both put out and intrigued.

Master Hiei." Umareta bowed low, "I am Umareta... and this fool is Hikara. My sister." Hikara paused in her gabbing, bowing low like her twin.

"Just Hiei." Hiei asked, "I am not your master."

Sukiei chuckled softly, "Girls. Makka is out back in the stables tending to Master Yukiei and Master Hiei's horses. Won't you hurry and get their rooms ready?"

"Hai mistress!" Hikara and Umareta said as one, bowing together and backing out of the room before turning on their heels and taking off at a full run, charging up the beautiful stairs.

"Forgive them Hiei." Sukiei asked in the silence that followed, "They might be grown women, but they simply can't resist good looking men... and they've always been fools for your father."

"I've dealt with it before." Hiei rolled his eyes, thinking of how Botan would often act foolish.

"Oh, but here we are talking away! Look around and behold!" Sukiei urged, and the three of them moved to the base of the stairwell. Above them, several floors were shown full of doors which lead to god only knows where. Hiei noticed that the balcony of the second floor was layered with statues of armor. He wondered if his ancestors had worn them.

"Beautiful." Yukiei sighed, "Just like I remembered."

"It's your home." He added to Hiei.

Hiei paused, thinking that word over. "Home." he whispered to himself, not fully believing it. For some reason, as wonderful as this place was... it wasn't home.

That thought made his stomach turn to ice.

"Yukiei... please don't hide from me why you've been gone for so long. I deserve to know how all this came to be. I've had to live many centuries without my only surviving child. I was a widow for many years... with only the servants for company." Sukiei asked reproachfully, walking in the gloom into a study room full of chairs where a small fire sat crackling in it's hearth. Sukiei sat down in what was clearly her personal chair. Yukiei followed her, and Hiei was on his tails. He did not want to be left alone in this dark, large place.

"I understand-" Yukiei tried to speak, but his mother cut him off.

"No." She whispered, her voice ragged. Her eyes were weary, full of sorrow and heartache, "You do not. Sit."

The pair of them sat in two leather chairs. Hiei tried to get comfortable but found it was almost impossible. For some reason... it just didn't feel right.

Sukiei stared dead into Yukiei's eyes.

"...Tell me everything."

Yukiei took a deep breath, "When I left with Hina, I arrived in her world only to discover it was a treacherous place unfit for a heavily pregnant woman. But the snow healed her somehow-"

"She was an ice maiden, Yukiei. I warned you-" Sukiei snapped, but Yukiei carried on.

"She showed me her world... it was a beautiful place. More beautiful than I can describe. I don't think I have the words."

"Frigid?" Sukiei curled her aged lip.

"Flowing... like water."

"Ice is water."

"Hina carried out the rest of her pregnancy... and gave birth to Hiei and Yukina."

Sukiei sucked in a breath, her eyes flying wide open. She clutched at her aging breast, looking hurt.

"Yukina? So then... then they..."

"Yes." Yukiei nodded solemnly, "They were twins."

"But... But-!" Sukiei was growing enraged, and Hiei could clearly see where his behavior came from, "But then where is my granddaughter? And where is my daughter in law? And where have you been?" Sukiei demanded, outraged.

Yukiei did not answer right away, staring into the depths of the dying fire.

"... After their birth... we were discovered by her elders." Yukiei murmured, his expression darkening. HIs ruby eyes fluttered closed. Sukiei's anger melted into fear.

"...Oh god..." Sukiei whispered, bracing herself for the news.

"I... I don't quite know how to put in words what happened next. There was so much pain. So much cold. And then silence. Death. They killed me. Right in front of her, and the children... That's when everything goes blank, right up until a few weeks ago."

Sukiei and Yukiei stared at one another, their grief flowing between them like a river of darkness. Sukiei's expression crumpled, and she put her face in her hands. Hiei and Yukiei waited on tenterhooks as she sniffed heartily. Could it be that she was weeping?

"I.." Hiei spoke up, not wanting to hear his grandmother cry, "I was thrown from the cliffs." He continued on with Yukiei's story. "A boy was a child of fire. An Emiko-"

At once, Sukiei snapped up from her hands, her eyes livid with anger.

"Stop!" Sukiei shouted angrily. Hiei nearly jumped in his chair, startled. "Stop right there! You are not an Emiko!"

"That's what they called me-"

"Well they were wrong." Sukiei cut across, her voice dark. Hiei nodded, reasoning with his grandmother.

"Fair enough." He was rather surprised that someone would stick up for him in such a manner, "I was thrown from the cliffs a few hours after birth. I was rescued by bandits, and raised in their ways. My sister was raised by my mother until her suicide-"

"Hina's dead?" Sukiei cried out, agog.

"Not exactly." Hiei assured her quickly.

"Well is she dead or not, child?" Sukiei demanded. Hiei had to admit, she had a point.

"Allow me to explain." Hiei urged her before continuing on, "My sister was raised by my mother until her suicide. She was then raised by my mother's best friend. I was raised by bandits, and found out that I had a twin sister. I attempted to find her but failed. I got a jagan implanted-"

"A WHAT?"

_**(a few moments later) **_

Sukiei trembled, pale and clammy. She finally seemed calm enough for Hiei to continue but it was clear her nerves were shot.

"Just allow him to finish." Yukiei insisted. Sukiei shot her son a murderous look, clearly not in the mood to be told what to do.

"Please... Please, Hiei." Sukiei murmured, "Don't lay these things on me so suddenly."

Hiei looked from his father to his grandmother, unsure how to continue. "When I got ...it... implanted, I returned to the glacier village. Yukina had left to find me in the human world. We'd missed each other by inches. So I ventured out again... only to run into a group of morons who I haven't been able to shake since then."

Hiei rolled his eyes at the thought of Yusuke, Kurama, and Kuwabara... the pair of them laughing in the park or a coffee shop, being ridiculous in public and embarrassing the hell out of him.

"Hiei has found himself employed by a prince along with three other skilled fighters." Yukiei added.

"A prince?" Sukiei nodded to herself, a small smile creeping up on her face, "What an honorable position."

Hiei waited for a moment before continuing on. "Yukina was kidnapped by a jewelry thief that used her hiroseke powers in an attempt to make a fortune for himself. His greed enabled me to find her all the sooner. I rescued her. We've been together ever since. Koenma, the prince that has me in his employment, was a fool and decided to tempt fate. He wanted another healer for our team in a battle against other teams in a Dark Tournament."

"The dark tournament!" Sukiei repeated aloud, her eyes lighting up with recognizance.

"The one and only. We competed last year and won. This year, we came back as the reigning champions. Koenma wanted to make sure we had an ace in the hole. He knew we needed a healer who would be on our side, who couldn't be swayed by the competition. He reincarnated Hina."

Sukiei's eyes flitted back and forth, narrowed with deep thought, "...So Hina _is _alive."

"A little _too _alive at times." Yukiei grinned.

"But that wasn't enough to win the tournament. It turned out the man running the whole show was the same jeweler that had kidnapped Yukina... and he knew about our weak spot. Hina. So in order to have his own ace, he attempted to used bait to lure Hina away... my father."

"He reincarnated me." Yukiei continued, "A pity no one told him who I was in life." But it was clear from Yukiei's tone that _pity _was the last thing on his mind.

"This vile man... kidnaps my granddaughter, assaults my sons soul, and attempts to get away with it!" Sukiei's rage was growing clearer and clearer. For an elderly woman, she was feisty. Hiei had never seen this kind of rage in a woman her age. Save for when Genkai had had enough of Yusuke's antics.

"I killed him." Yukiei assured her. She snorted, settling back into her chair.

"We had to run. We couldn't even stay to compete in the tournament." Hiei added.

"So you left?" Sukiei murmured.

"We all did. We had to get out of there before we lost our lives _again. _...We've been at the dojo of a martial arts instructor by the name of Genkai." Yukiei explained.

"_The _Genkai?" Sukiei seemed very impressed, "You know her?"

"She is the master of a man on Hiei's fighting force. Hina and Yukina are there with her now. I returned with Hiei to instate him as a male of this clan... and give him the rights he deserves. And so you see me now."

All the cards were laid out on the table. Yukiei and Sukiei stared into one another's eyes, lost in each other's thoughts. After many moments of tedious silence, Sukiei managed to gather her composure once again, and rose shakily from her chair.

"... Inari alone knows the answers which I seek. Forgive me, my son. I must go pray."

"Mother-"

But Sukiei had already turned to go. She walked out of the state room, her feet dragging across the floor, her head hung low, her heart weary.

"Will she be alright?" Hiei whispered.

Yukiei watched his mother go, his heart in his shoes. "Of course." He lied, knowing full well that his mother would probably need many many days to recover.

"Master Yukiei, Master Hiei!" Hikara's voice called out from another state room to their left. Curious, the pair of them left the study room behind as they entered into a warm and glowing kitchen full of life. A large stone plato in the middle of the floor surrounded by red and black cushions was stacked high full of glorious food on multiple plates.

Hiei's jaw dropped. Never before had he seen such splendor.

Umaretta and Hikara bowed in tandem. In unison they spoke: "Dinner is served."

Many moments later after Hiei had collected his jaw from the floor and had washed his hands with a hot moist towelette, he found himself sitting around the table with Umaretta, Hikara, Makka, and his own father. The five of them could not quit their chattering, their mouths full of hot and delicious food.

"So you want to tell us how you got here?" Makka demanded thru a mouth full of steamed rice.

"The short version I assume?" Yukiei chuckled.

"I haven't got time for the long." Makka grinned, "If I wanted to listen to your entire story I'd read a book."

But twenty minutes later after having to stop and re-explain himself twice, Makka was singing to a different tune

"What?" Yukiei asked, for Makka, Hikara, and Umareta all wore faces of great disbelief.

"Shit." Makka griped, "I didn't know life could _get _that complicated.

Yukiei rolled his eyes, chewing on a mouthful of Inuitte Noodles, "Makka, you've had to deal with clan affairs. You know life can get that complicated in a heartbeat."

"Still..." Hikara shook her head, shocked, "That's unbelievable."

"So Hina's still alive, and you have a sister named Yukina?" Umaretta continued.

"Yes." Hiei smiled at the thought of his sister.

"You know what that means!" Umaretta and Hikara's cheeks were rosy from smiling so broadly. "We'll have a girl to take care of again! Ribbons and makeup!" Umaretta sighed hopefully at the thought.

"New kimono's and hair ornaments!" Hikara added, gleefully.

"The cherry tree festival!"

"The marriage rights!"

"And then _babies!" _

"Stop, stop, stop!" Yukiei burst out, his eyes screwed shut to block out the thought, "I'm eating."

"I agree!" Hiei grimaced, his stomach souring at the thought of that oaf Kuwabara trying to mingle with his sister like _that. _"Don't even mention the word 'babies'"

"Forgive us, Master Hiei." Umaretta smiled, bowing her head, "We were so excited about your births... we wanted to be able to hold you and love you."

Her sister smiled consolingly, rubbing Umaretta's shoulder soothingly, "That's the true joy of working with a clan." Hikara continued, "Experiencing life like you're part of the family."

"Hikara... You _are _part of the family. All of you are. You were like my siblings growing up." Yukiei punched Makka in the shoulder.

"Arriagato Master Yukiei." Umaretta smiled, "It has been lonely without you... or your father."

Silence.

Hiei looked up from his meal, his eyes on his father. Yukiei had grown quiet, his eyes blank. Umaretta bit her lip, rubbing her eyes. She'd stumbled on a hard topic. It was clear that the subject of Yukiei's father was not one of a good nature. But... why?

"Where is my grandfather?" Hiei asked tentatively. Yukiei gritted his teeth together, a muscle in his jaw jumping.

"...He died a long time ago." Yukiei growled, rising up. "I feel the heat of the day upon me. Domo arriagato for the meal." He bowed to his three servants. "You're cooking has only improved, Umareta."

"Master Yukiei-" Umareta called out, regret lacing her voice. But Yukiei did not stop. He left the four of them at the table, closing the door to the hallway behind him. Hiei watched him go, feeling powerless to make his father happier.

"... Dammit." Hiei cursed under his breath.

"...Don't be hard on yourself, Hiei. Your father and grandfather... they had their... disagreements." Makka grumbled, rubbing his brow. His balding head sweated in the intense heat of the kitchen.

"What happened to him?" Hiei asked.

Umareta, Hikara, and Makka stared at one another. Hiei waited with baited breath. Makka sighed heavily.

"It wasn't what just happened to him. It's what happened to all of us..." Makka's voice was a deep baritone, "Your father and grandfather shared a very deep connection. You see, your grandfather was a strong samurai, built in battle... forged in the fire."

"He brought great peace to this country." Umaretta added.

"And great war. The true honor for any fire demon." Hikara continued on. The sisters nodded to one another.

"But battle was not only found on the field... it was found at home. You see, there was a rival in your grandfather's quest for justice... a one woman army. By the name of Anatevka." Makka spat out the name, bitter and angry.

"Anatevka?" Hiei asked.

"Surely you know who Anatevka is." Makka grumbled.

Hiei stared at all three of them, confused.

"Great god alive boy, Anatevka is only one of the most feared and deeply respected members of our society! She is an S Class fire demon... with unmatched skill. She even mastered the Pikadon attack... It's on the same level as The Dragon of the Darkness Flame!" Makka snapped. Hiei felt a jolt in his stomach at the name of the dragon. Little did the three of them know... it was right in front of them, slumbering on Hiei's arm.

"I wouldn't go that far. The Dragon of the Darkness Flame is far more superior." Hikara grumbled.

"I agree with my sister. For once." Umaretta added. Makka rolled his honey eyes.

"Anatevka saw darkness in your grandfather's heart." Makka muttered under his breath, his anger clear. Hiei's smile fell. Darkness...?

"Or _says _she saw darkness. She didn't really. She just wanted him out of the way!" Umaretta snapped.

"She used this supposed darkness as conviction to challenge your grandfather to battle... And in that battle she slaughtered him." Hiei grimaced at the thought, "He evaporated." Hiei pinched his eyes shut, trying to block out the image, "Into thin air."

"Stop, Makka!" Hikara begged. Makka halted in his tracks, inwardly cursing himself, "... I can't take any more."

"How did she do that?" Hiei asked, his throat scratchy.

"Anatevka sold her soul to the devil in order to protect her country. But she forgot that the devil doesn't play fair. He gave her the Pikadon... the Atomic Bomb. It's an attack all her own, completely unique. Imagine watching a bomb go off the size of stadium. The size of an island. Can you imagine such force...? Can you imagine...?" Makka faltered.

Hiei did not press him.

"Thank you for telling me this." Hiei rose up, setting his chopsticks down, "Excuse me..." he bowed, grateful for the meal, and followed out into the hallway after his father. He looked left and right, seeing only darkened gloom. Using his jagan, he sensed his father's enormous energy to the left. Hiei followed the trail like a dog on the scent. He walked past several doors that were probably guest rooms or more state rooms. But as he took a left in the hallway and found himself at a dead end, an enormous red velvet curtain blocked off a door behind which a large fire glowed. Hiei moved the curtain aside, and saw his father staring up at a large portrait which hung over a grated fire, his hands clasped behind his back.

Hiei knew it was a portrait of his grandfather. It was obvious from the portraits subject. The man in the painting was tall, even sitting down, layered with enormous plates of silver and black armor that were dented from clear battle. With fiery eyes and eyebrows that needed a slight plucking the man in the portrait glared down at his subjects with a sneer that suggested he was not in the mood for idle chatter.

Oh yes. This man could only be his father's father. His grandfather.

Yukiei did not twitch, but Hiei knew that Yukiei was aware of his presence.

"...Every man has darkness and light." Yukiei murmured, his voice thick, "Every man."

"No one said otherwise." Hiei agreed.

"... She killed my father right in front of me. And tried to...justify it. As if she could." Yukiei spat, angrily.

"This woman." Hiei thought fast, "This Anatevka, we could take her on. You and I."

Yukiei shook his head, his pony tail swinging back and forth, "You don't know what you're saying, Hiei. You've never even met her. You don't know what she's like."

"I'll admit we've never met-"

"No, Hiei."

"Father-"

"I SAID NO!" Yukiei whirled around, his eyes blazing with anger. Hiei was shocked, but held his ground. Yukiei seethed, breathing heavily. "I said no! Do you think I came back to life only to have my heart ripped out again by the same woman who killed my own father? Do you think I want you to face her? To die by her hands? Because she _will _kill you! You cannot defeat Anatevka!"

Hiei held his ground, steeling himself for anger, "... Maybe I can, if you are willing to believe in me. Do you believe in me?"

"Hiei..." Yukiei huffed a breath, "I..." Yukiei shook his head, his face dark with hurt, "Yes. I believe in you. More than I am able to understand. More than is probably healthy."

"...Then believe in me now. Just give me chance to meet Anatevka. To damage her, maybe even destroy her. Won't you give me that chance?" Hiei whispered, gritting his teeth. Would his father truly give him a chance? Even now when faced with the perfect opportunity?

"Hiei... You can't damage an S class demon." Yukiei shook his head.

"Father, I practically am an S class demon. The woman I lo- The woman I work for is an S Class demon. I was bred to fight them." Hiei bit off the subject before he could reveal more. It wasn't that he didn't love Mukuro... He just didn't feel the need to tell his father _everything. _Surely son's... didn't...

"Hiei... You were bred for excellence. You were bred to inherit this house-"

"Father-"

"How can you inherit a house if you're dead-"

"Father, please-!"

"Alright!" Yukiei shouted, "Alright! Fuck you're worse than your mother!"

Silence followed, but Hiei couldn't help but smile.

"Actually... no one's worse than your mother." Hiei smiled some more.

"So we'll go?" Hiei asked. "Tomorrow?"

"Yes." Yukiei grumbled, "Yes _Yes. _We'll go..." Yukiei moved way from the portrait, unwilling to look into his own father's eyes any longer. He moved out onto the balcony, pushing the doors open wide and leaning heavily on the stone rail as he gazed down into the deserted streets below. His eyes traveled down to the graveyard only a few blocks away from his house. The enormous dead oak tree in the center towered over the rest of the houses in the villa... Yukiei knew who lay in that graveyard.

For once, he found himself not thinking of his father... but of his teammates. What would they have said?

Yukiei's face fell, into a deep frown. A great sorrow filled his heart. He didn't know why... but he needed to go to that graveyard. Something in his heart begged him to go.

"Why don't you go lay down? Get ready for tomorrow? I'll take you to see that bitch Anatevka." Yukiei tried to make an excuse.

"You mean it?"

"Yes, I mean it. Now stop asking me or I'm going to change my mind." Yukiei snapped.

"You won't regret this!" Hiei cheered, sounding enthusiastic. He left in a rush, running down the hall. "You won't regret this father!"

Yukiei's heart fell again as he stared at the graveyard. Something was urging him to go. As soon as possible. Immediately.

Rubbing his brow to stop a headache from forming, Yukiei walked over to the wall to pull a large bell brow that hung from the ceiling. A few seconds later, Makka was at the door, responding to the call.

"Lord Yukiei?" Makka bowed respectfully.

"...Ready my horse." Yukiei ordered. "I... Have a friend to see..."

"Hai, Lord Yukiei." Makka bowed again, backing up before walking away briskly.

Yukiei stood there in the gloom, the balcony at his back, the portrait to his right. Yukiei looked up at his father in a sideways glance. He knew that glare. How many times had he been on the receiving end of it?

"I'm a grown man." Yukiei grumbled, "You don't get to look at me like that anymore."

But his father's portrait persisted.

It _always _persisted.

_**(End Scene) **_

_**Thank you for waiting. I know this has been extremely difficult, because I've been so mixed up. I've had to move twice, and I've been dealing with family issues. UGGG. Originally this was supposed to be one chapter, but I cut it in half to ease some of the tension. No. This is not the end of the story. I wish it was... but there is one more twist left. One very tough twist. I'd like to thank all my supporters and reviewers for hanging in there. Just keep up the faith. **_

_**Yall are the best. And the sequel is on it's way! **_


	24. Pikadon

_**Hey guys. So here we go. Three more chapters and then the end. Are you ready? Hold on tight! Thanks to all my reviewers who stuck it out for this long. I'm glad everyone's excited! **_

_**(Scene Break) **_

Just as he remembered... the streets were bare. Quiet cold fell over his normally hot and heavy town. Yukiei remembered his childhood as if it were a movie film passing thru his inner mind. He saw the butchers stand where his mother used to send Makka and himself out to get the best cuts. He saw the darkened windows of a house where an elderly woman used to give them sweets when they passed by her garden. The cobblestones beneath his feet were heavy with ash, and his horse moved slowly thru the rubble. Left, right, left... he knew his way to the graveyard. Something was pulling him there. Someone was pulling him there.

_Four very important someone's._

At the entrance to the old and ruined graveyard, Yukiei left his horse tethered to the fallen gate. By foot, he graced the darkened grounds, staring at all the unmarked headstones where the names of the fallen lay silent. What would they have to say about such nonsense. Somewhere in this graveyard, Yukiei's father was buried. Somewhere in this graveyard... The Mother in the Fire was buried.

Somewhere in this fire, his team was buried.

He walked to the very back of the graveyard, where a bench beside the old enamored oak kept watch over the weary dead.

It was then that he saw them.

Their names were carved into polished black marble.

Yukiei dropped to his knees, an ache in his heart like nothing he'd ever known before. It was too much to bear. To much to take. No...

"...Hiroshi..." Yukiei voiced his late best friends name, remembering the familiarity on the tip of his tongue, "Mamoru...Taro..."

He could not stop the tears. They came unbidden, flowing down his dirty cheeks. He traced their names on the tombstones, remembering their faces... their voices...

It was too much.

"...Yukiei..?"

Yukiei hitched a breath, looking over his shoulder in shock.

...Could it be...?

There in the shade of the yew tree, a familiar face loomed out of the darkness, looking confused.

Yasuo.

"Yasuo?" Yukiei rose to his feet, shocked to see his old friend standing before him as if nothing had ever happened, as if a day hadn't gone by. Yasuo looked older, weary, but still himself with kind eyes and a mouth keen for smiling. Yasuo gasped, holding his heart, utterly shocked.

"How?" Yasuo managed to blurt out, his fear and shock clear, "How can it be?"

Yukiei could not stand it. He charged at Yasuo, throwing his arms around his old companion and holding him tight. "Yasuo!" Yukiei sobbed into Yasuo's shoulder, not caring that it was unbecoming of himself as a man not to cry, "Yasuo! I missed you so much... So very very much..."

"Yukiei..." Yasuo whispered, bringing his arms around Yukiei and stroking his tangled hair. "Are you a ghost...?"

"What?"

Yukiei choked, drawing back to stare into Yasuo's confused eyes.

Of course. Yasuo didn't know he was alive.

"You've been dead for so many years..." Yasuo murmured, "Did you know I was coming?"

Yukiei didn't know what to say.

"...Yasuo..." He whispered, hurt.

"I never believed in ghosts... Until our team died." Yasuo added, "They visit me, you know."

Yukiei swallowed, his throat thick with held back emotion. He looked over his shoulder to where the tombstones of his only friends waited in the moonlight. Sure enough, his imagination got the better of him... Did he see Hiroshi on the edge of the gate, leaning back and looking pleased? Was that Mamoru waiting by the entrance, his latest sword in hand? Could that be Taro..? Could that be the great Taro, sitting by his own father's grave?

"...I'm glad you chose to visit as well." Yasuo whispered. Yukiei looked down at his old friend, and held him tight once more, trying to warm him up in the cold.

He helped Yasuo to sit down on the bench dropping to one knee before him. The pair of them stared at the tomb stones, not at peace in the stillness but quiet all the same. Was this the line between the living and the dead? Was this the price to pay for cheating fate? To live forever, but to live alone? Yukiei looked up at Yasuo, who smiled down at him teary eyed.

"I wish I could die." Yasuo admitted, "so that we could all be together again. Then we could all be ghosts. Is it nice... to be dead."

Yukiei did not know what to say to that, so he said nothing.

"... but.. I sense you're not really dead. Heaven only knows how or why." Yasuo continued on. Yukiei's heart began to warm again with hope as he looked up into the eyes of a man he'd come to love as a brother... a man who knew everything, yet pretended to know nothing. A man who was so at peace with life and death that he seldom saw the line between the two. A man whose kindness had never failed to warm Yukiei's heart. It was Yasuo who had shown him how to love Hina. It was Yasuo who had prepared him to be a father.

It was Yasuo who made him feel better about being alive.

"... No... I'm not dead. Well, I was but-" Yukiei was cut off by Yasuo bringing down a soft finger to touch Yukiei's open lips. Yukiei was silent at once.

"No details needed. All that matters is that we are together again." Yasuo whispered, smiling warmly. Yukiei nodded slowly; Yasuo was right.

The pair of them sat together in the moonlight, happy to be alive. Happy to be together.

"Hiroshi. Remember the time he won the lottery?" Yasuo spoke up out of no where, laughing to himself. Yukiei could not help but laugh as well... what a day that had been.

"Lets see. He took his mother out to a nice dinner. He bought a mug of Old Spice... and then he gave every single cent away." Yasuo continued on. "Flat broke."

"Aint no joke." Yukiei added, rhyming. The pair of them chuckled.

"Oh how Mamoru grumbled... do you remember him complaining?" Yasuo asked.

"I thought he'd never quit." Yukiei laughed aloud, "I think I had to challenge him to a duel just to get him to hush!"

"Taro liked it though." Yasuo smiled fondly.

"Taro liked anything that involved shouting. Got it from his father." Yukiei added bitterly... Taro was a scar upon his heart, a wound that could not heal. Taro was the darkened figure of their team... Taro couldn't be saved, and that broke Yukiei's heart.

Taro was the one who'd died first. Who'd died before Hina and Yukiei had married.

"...Taro..." Yasuo spoke the name aloud. "He was a good man."

"A fool." Yukiei whispered, hurt. "A fucking fool." He cursed. "And I'm a fool too."

Yasuo was quiet at that, reaching out to touch Yukiei's forehead as if checking for fever. He touched the underside of Yukiei's neck to look for a pulse.

"Mm." Yasuo murmured, wisely, "Yes. The vital signs make it clear you're a fool...But I shall tell you a secret."

Yukiei looked up into Yasuo's eyes, wanting nothing more than to sit there for the rest of time.

"All the best people in the world are fools. Every last one." Yasuo joked. "So I'm glad you're a fool. And I'm glad I'm one too."

"...Yasuo..."

Yukiei put his head on Yasuo's lap.

It wasn't much. But it was heaven none the less.

_**(Scene Break) **_

The next day came with a blood red sun. Yukiei awoke feeling as if he hadn't gotten a wink of sleep. Exhausted and broken hearted from the night before, he'd crawled out of his chambers to wake Hiei who rose with such spirit that it slightly annoyed him. The pair of them made their way down to breakfast where Makka, Hikara, and Umaretta greeted them enthusiastically. Yukiei tried to smile, but felt as if smiling was something of the past... last night, seeing Yasuo had taken something from him.

What was it that last night had taken from him? Seeing his dead comrades had reminded him of the fact that he'd been dead not too long ago... and somehow... now he felt as if he should have stayed dead. As if none of this should have ever happened.

"Father?"

Yukiei snapped out of his thoughts to see his son standing at the front door, an eager look upon his face. Hiei truly was a hard working man. Yukiei smiled fondly.

"I'm coming." Yukiei assured him, and Hiei sprinted out the door like a child to a playground. Yukiei moved to leave, but something his heart begged him to turn around... to gaze upon his house one last time.

He did so.

...He knew that he would not be coming back. And it broke his heart.

_**(Scene Break) **_

They mounted their horses and left the manor behind. The day was growing high upon them, and people made their way to and from work. Children laughed as they learned in the schoolhouse, mothers and servants picked out food from the market square. It was as if nothing had changed. As if life did not know that death had lost two of it's souls to it's embrace. As if death did not know. Yukiei was certain however that death knew damn well that he and Hina had gotten away from his ensnarement... it was only a matter of time.

His heart pounded in his chest, as if it was trying to get in as many beats as possible before it's demise. It knew death was coming again... Anatevka knew too.

Anatevka. Where was that bitch?

They made it to the center of the town where a massive structure loomed over the rest of the town, blocking out even the hot red lava from the towering volcano's up above. The massive structure was sharp, with gargoyle corners and black banners that spewed from boarded up windows.

"Where is everyone?" Yukiei whispered.

"What do you mean?" Hiei asked as they mounted the steps. Hiei could not help but notice that a single shoe sat lonely on the top step, as if someone had been running to get away and lost their step. A gust of hot blistering wind swept the top steps and the plato where a few broken pillars whistled in the breeze. An ominous presence from the inside gave way thru the darkened front doors. They were charred black, as if an extreme heat had melted them.

Yukiei and Hiei looked at one another. Were they at the gates of hell?

"... I my time, this was a place of cultural hype. Of spiritual awareness. Everyone came here looking for answers, sharing knowledge... Now there's... nothing... Do you... Hear that?" Yukiei paused, his heart thundering in his ribs. Was it just his imagination... or did he feel something drawing closer and closer? Were those footsteps?

"... I _feel that." _Hiei whispered, the hair on the back of his neck standing up as if electricity were rippling thru the air. His aura wilted, unwilling to stretch out against a tight barrier full of dangerous warning. The dragon on his arm twitched under his binding, and he soothed it with his aura. It wanted to get out. It wanted to fight the feeling that threatened to frighten the rest of Hiei.

The pair of them moved forward, unwilling to be cowards. They tried to force the doors open but found them too resisting. Hiei kicked the bottom of the left door in and crawled inside before his father could stop him. Yukiei bent low, hastleing after his soon into the darkness. If memory served Yukiei right, he knew his way from here... dead ahead would be a large staircase that would descend into the ballroom where (in Yukiei's time) people would be dancing and making merry. But as he and Hiei walked thru the double archways into the stairwell full of dust and molded carpet, Yukiei saw nothing but ruined windows... Inside he felt the same feeling inside that had blossomed like an iron lotus when he'd seen Yasuo again. it was the same terrible burning exhaustion to end his life... to return to death. His time was long gone in this world. This building was living proof.

Footsteps.

Hiei and Yukiei braced themselves, their muscles taught and their nerves on fire.

A woman, tall and unbending was walking down the steps across the ballroom floor. Her black hair was shaped in a mohawk that curtained between two black and red horns that curled sharp against the woman's skull. Her lips were black. Her eyes were red. Her cloak of deepest emory and ruby swirled in and out of the darkness. As if it was the darkness. Her power was incredible, on the same scale of Mukuro... perhaps even greater. Suddenly Hiei wished that he had Mukuro here with him. For some reason he felt powerless. Defenseless.

"Hiei... Son of Yukiei... Son of Yukoto... Son of Harukoto... Son of Kizuharu... Husband to the Mother of the Fire... Anakoto" Anatevka addressed him, a lazy smile curling around her blackened lips. She tilted her head to the side, and Hiei shivered. Something about her was utterly evil... Utterly foul. This was not a normal enemy. This was not like Toguro, or Tarukane, or Bui, or any other man who had challenged Hiei.

She was not threatening him with death. She was _promising it. _

"Welcome to my domain. I hope you find it... pleasant." Anatevka grinned, and two pearly white fangs peeked thru.

"As the plague." Hiei cracked his neck, stepping forward. "How do you know my name?"

"I know many things." Anatevka sneered, circling Hiei so that the pair of them formed a circle in their steps. Yukiei was on the outskirts, his heart in his hands. He was powerless now. "I know that on your arm you bear the Dragon of the Darkness Flame. I'm amazed you know your head from your ass. After all they're not three feet apart."

At this, she ripped back her cloak to show her stomach which glared with a hot green ki. The heat coming off of it was unbelievable.

"Not a bad weapon there, Anatevka... but my own is superior." Hiei flexed his arm, holding up the thick gauze like a torch to light the way.

"Are you challenging me?" Anatevka snapped.

"It's easy to challenge a fool." Hiei sneered.

"Hiei!" Yukiei begged, but Hiei was past arguments. Before he could rethink his actions, Hiei flung up a hot barrier to keep his father away. He would not have Yukiei hurt just because Anatevka needed to be taken down a peg or two.

"Stay out of this!" Hiei shouted to his father over the crackling of the barrier. "If you think you can frighten me, you're in for a nasty surprise Anatevka."

Anatevka grinned again. "Don't mock me little child."

And it began.

Anatevka reared up her hand and a great ball of flame formed in her palm. She flung it before Hiei had a chance to duck. Hiei jumped out of the way, flitting around the ballroom floor like a shadow on the wind. Ball after ball crashed into the already damaged marble and chunks of polished stone blasted in the air at the impact. The sound echoed around the enormous room and Hiei was certain outside could hear _something. _

"You're aim is as large as your ego! At least attempt to hit me." Hiei shouted over the din, eager to egg Anatevka on. He wanted her to fumble. He wanted her to grow angry. He could stand a chance of defeating her if she lost her cool. She was almost like Kurama in her tactics. Anatevka threw several more gusts of fire but Hiei just kept dodging.

"I'll admit I'm not exactly a grand target, but this is utterly repulsive for someone of your class." Hiei snapped. He had expected more from an S class demon. Hoping to see more of a challenge, Hiei drew out his sword and slashed down a ball of flame that was headed for his face. It ricochet off his sword and slammed into the wall so that glass exploded everywhere. Doves and pidgins took flight from their nests, fluttering out of the newly made hole terrified.

"I warn you, your moves will do you no good." Hiei sneered. Anatevka was not in the mood for his mouth, and grimaced. She formed her two hands together, making a much larger fire ball that she slung with all her might. Hiei jumped up, did a backflip, and landed neatly on the ground only to use his sword like a blocking pole which moved the fireball up and out. It hit the ceiling like a bomb, and the entire roof caved in! HIei threw his arms over his head, using his aura to deflect the tiles and beams that rained down. Anatevka just stood there as if this was nothing. As if the enormous pile of debris falling down a simple rain shower. Yukiei jumped back, shouting for his son. He couldn't see Hiei for a moment or two as all the dust showered down... but it soon cleared, and there he was. Hiei stood up tall and proud, gloating at his success.

"... I told you that would be a foolish maneuver, but you, like so many men before you, refused to listen. Much to my boredom. And that, as you'll learn, is never forgivable." Hiei warned, leering.

Anatevka rolled her hot red eyes. Cracking her own neck, she took off her cloak in a flourish, revealing well fitted black armor beneath it. Her breast plate was curved to show her womanly swells. Her hips were gilded in well rounded metal. She was a sexual deviant. A succubus.

".. My apologies. Allow me... to spice things up." Anatevka was changing, forming into something more sinister! Hiei watched his distance warily as Anatevka began to glow like a hot red poker. Enormous horns sprouted out of her forehead, wreathed in a crown of fire! Fangs were growing larger! Fingernails were gleaming a hot white! Her eyes were utterly black... as if her iris and whites had never existed at all.

"... Allow me to let you in on a well kept secret, Hiei son of Yukiei. I have only used this form in my most intense of battles. And this... this is the highest reserve I show. Consider yourself honored." Anatevka's voice had changed from that of a woman's to that of a beast... and it unnerved him.

"I'm touched, really... but don't think taking my flame in that form is going to be any better than taking it in the last." Hiei sneered, trying to hide his worry.

"I'll keep that in mind." Anatevka didn't seem too worried. She grew hotter and hotter, her aura rippling around her in a sweltering heat. "Flame is considered a dangerous target by most. But frankly, I feel the opposite. You see, my flame is so unstoppable that I find it far from dangerous. I find it only natural to let it flow. Let it grow. That is the way of our kind"

She lifted herself up, riding on her heat waves. Below her, Hiei kept his sword drawn out, wary and ready for the battle to truly commence. The fireballs had just been a challenge... like a cat playing with a ball of string. But now, the cards had turned and Hiei was certain the true attacks were about to start. Was he ready for them? Could he take them?

"You will pay for your disrespect. White light black rain!" Anatevka screamed, throwing her hands down. Dark toxin started showering down on top of Hiei and he rolled, ducking behind debris to hide from the acids that blinded his eyes and made his nose hairs burn! He coughed, unable to inhale the horrid fumes. In an attempt to get away, Hiei made a shield with his jagan. Anatevka's own toxins were thrown back at her, and she ripped away, halting the flow of black rain to avoid it's nettle sting. Hiei looked up to see Anatevka was smoking from the collision.

"...Don't be so foolish, Hiei. My attacks are designed to warp to my opponent... to use them like actors in a show. As you can see, that's not even enough to scald my armor." Anatevka sneered.

Hiei flexed his fingers. The time had come. He didn't know what other skeletons she was hiding in her closet... If he didn't act now, he knew instinctively that her attacks would only grow worse and worse. He had to do something and quick!

"So... You're the kind of woman who likes an over the top sort of show? Well then. Here's over the top." Hiei snapped, unwrapping his bandages hastily.

"Hiei, no!" Yukiei shouted over the commotion, "I beg of you don't!"

The dragon was sparking to life, and lightning began to circle overhead. Without the ceiling to block the sky, they were given a clear view of dark humid clouds. Hiei could hear screaming outside. The townspeople were aware of something. They knew a battle was going on inside. Did Sukiei know? Did Makka? Did Hikara or Umareta?

"Life is an hourglass glue to the table, Anatevka. Are you sure you'd like to tempt fate? ...Very well... It's the final curtain." Hiei leered as flame sparked to life on his arm! Yes! There was nothing that could be compared to the feeling of the dragon awakening from it's slumber. It knew there was blood to be shed, enemies to be destroyed! It wanted death! It wanted darkness! Hiei was only too happy to oblige it.

"To be truthful, the damned things been straining at the bandages for far too long. I couldn't hold it in forever you know! You slaughtered my grandfather! And now, I'll slaughter you!" Hiei shouted at the top of his lungs. Uncontrollable flame went wild, sparking off the walls and clashing into one another. Anatevka watched from above, fearful. It was clear that even she knew the dragon of the darkness flame was no ordinary attack. But it was too late for her, and it was too late for Hiei!

"I'M SICK OF YOUR SHIT!" Flames exploded, the dragon was coming to life! "I'VE WORKED TOO DAMN HARD FOR PEACE! I WON'T HAVE IT TURNED DOWN BECAUSE YOU HAVE AN EGO THE SIZE OF JAPAN!" The sounds of it's roars screeched like nails on a chalkboard, but HIei loved every minute of it.

"PEACE IS NOT IN THE NATURE OF OUR KIND!" Anatevka screamed back, but the fear was clear in her voice.

"This is not the dragon of the darkness flame I read about in story books. This... This is something else entirely. It's like the door of hell has been opened wide!" Yukiei whispered to himself, bracing for it's impact.

"DRAGON OF THE DARKNESS FLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAME!"

The dragon burst forward, exploding into a wild arch of fire as it slammed into Anatevka, it's fiery colors of blue and white swallowing her whole. It rocketed around the room, so that windows blew open and pillars evaporated into ash as the dragon roared with a rage untold before! Hiei held on tight as he energy was sucked clean from his body and his form was tossed limp to the side. His own fight was over now. All he could do was pray his effort had been enough.

Anatevka screamed, terrified, as the dragon ripped her body open! Anatevka wrestled back and forth, her armor breaking off and falling to the floor where Hiei tried to avoid getting hit. Anatevka threw her arms back, an ultra violet light exploding from her body that shook the dragon back, causing it to wither and nearly die.

Yukiei was showered in debris and hot lava, and he gasped in pain as Anatevka's light burned him. He was thrown back into the wall, and was knocked unconscious. Hiei cried out for his father, nearly hitting his own shield as he attempted to fight back the heat.

"Who am I to deny such power?" Anatevka cackled from above. Hiei banged on his shield, sliding between it's broken panels and running to his fathers side.

"Yukiei!" Hiei begged, "Wake up! Wake up!"

"DARKNESS IS IN THE HEART OF EVERY MAN!" Anatevka screamed. "I SEE IT IN YOU NOW!"

"Yukiei, please!" Hiei held his father's head in his hands. "Please!"

"THERE WAS DARKNESS IN YOUR HEART SINCE THE VERY BEGINNING! IT WAS NO COINCIDENCE FOR US TO BATTLE TODAY!"

Hiei held his father tight, hiding behind an enormous piece of granite that had fallen from the ceiling.

"PREPARE YOURSELF FOR MY OWN DARKNESS!"

"H-Hiei..." Yukiei coughed, "Keep... your head... down..."

"Yukiei!" Hiei whispered, "Are you alright?"

"I'm- Hiei-" Yukiei kept coughing. "Hiei please... Keep your head down. The Pikadon is coming. It's... It's coming."

"Yukiei. Father... I'm so sorry..." Hiei whispered.

"Don't be." Yukiei twitched his fingers, "Here it comes."

"Hiei..." Yukiei held his son tight behind the debris. "Regardless... I'm so proud of you."

They looked into one another's eyes. It was then that Hiei saw his father's longing to die. His inability to live anymore. Hiei bowed his head. They should never have come today. They had tried to live a lie, the pair of them... Now they would pay.

"!"

_**(Across the town) **_

"I better get going!" Hikara waved goodbye to her sister as she rushed down the manor steps, "I'm going to be late for the market!"

"Come right back, I want to do the washing in the river!" Umareta added.

"We will, I promise!" Hikara laughed.

"Wait up for me!" Makka came bounding around the stables. "I have to get some new bites for the masters horses!"

"Alright then, come on!" Hikara and Makka made their way thru the town. The sun above them shone down so bright that it burnt the back of their necks. But back in the house, a strange tension had taken over.

"Umaretta!" Sukiei cried out from the doorway. "Come here quickly!"

"What is it?" Umaretta hurried up to the front, wiping her wet hands on a dish towel. She was shocked to see all sorts of insects attempting to crawl inside the front door! "Look at all the ants! I've never seen so many!"

"Where are they coming from?" Sukiei wondered aloud, shocked. "and why?"

_**(Across the town) **_

Yasuo sat on the market steps, looking up at the town hall center which was normally quiet. Today it was full of shouting and screaming... He knew why.

"Yukiei." Yasuo whispered.

"No doubt." A woman added, looking up at the marble square. "Can you believe all that rucus? What are they doing in there, fighting?"

"Probably a match or something." Yasuo murmured, thinking of his own battles back when he was youthful.

"Why hasn't anyone been informed? If it were a match we'd be in our shelters to be safe." The woman shook her head. "I just don't know anymore."

The pair of them stared up at the center, curious.

_**(Across the portal) **_

Yukina and Hina worked hard in the garden, the sky overcast and thunder grumbling in the air. For some reason Hina had felt violently ill all day long and the fresh air was an attempt to try and feel better. Pale and sweaty, Hina held her sides and bowed her head.

"Mother!" Yukina cried out, holding her tight by the upper arms, "Are you okay?"

Something in Hina's heart was hammering wildly. Something told her that her husband and son were in grave peril! Hina shivered violently, sweat dripping down from her forehead.

"Y-Yukiei..." Hina whispered, laying down on the cool earth and breathing slow and deep.

"Genkai, come quick! Something's wrong with mother!"

_**(In the center) **_

It struck without warning.

Everything turned black and white as time stopped on a dime and unbelievable heat stilled the air. Sukiei and Umaretta were frozen on the steps. Hikara and Makka looked on from the market. Yasuo and the stranger looked up from the square.

And then... it began.

The wind blistered threw, blowing the center to smithereens that showered on the village below! Children screamed, their skin frying up, their eyes melting out of their sockets, their hair evaporating, their clothes shredding! The people stood no chance, their bodies melting from the unbelievable power of the bomb! Buildings shattered as glass splintered and entire houses were lifted into the air! Trees were uprooted, the graveyard was blasted away! Horses caught on fire, their whinnies squealing in the air!

At the manor, Umaretta shielded Sukiei in her last living act, her skin melting off from the heat rays, her eyes vanishing from their sockets. But Sukiei was too old, too fragile, and her head disconnected from her spine, rolling away several feet where it shriveled up from the explosion. The pair of them fell dead to the ground, their forms blackened like fish charred too long on the grill.

In the market, Hikara and Umaretta were knocked ass over elbows, flying into a nearby store window were glass cut deep into their skin, shredding them as if they were paper. Two beams from the ceiling dropped down, spearing Makka as if he were a shish kabob. He fell dead to the floor, his skin melting off like hot wax. Hikara toppled across the counter, falling into several other people all of whom were burnt black. With another heat wave, her tongue turned to liquid in her own mouth, her eyes vanished from their sockets, Her skin became black! She was dead... and she didn't even know it.

Yasuo evaporated into ash, his body blown to the wind, his spirit finally freed. His death came to him as no surprise... he was glad to be rid of life.

Inside the temple, Hiei and Yukiei were caught in the hyper-center, the pair of them wide eyed and horrified at the monster they'd unleashed. They were blown back, the debris sheltering them from the worst of the attack as they were knocked thru the front doors which they'd entered on foot, sailing thru the air as if birds to flight. They saw the destruction below them, saw their own horses on fire! They crashed into a shop, falling down into his blackened remains... and knew no more.

_**(...) **_

For many centuries to come, the event would be considered a national disaster... and the only thing that would move in a once thriving town, were the flies over the dead bodies.

_**(End Scene) **_

_**(Well. There you go. That's what you get for screwing around with a ticking time bomb. What happened here was a classic example of what an atomic bomb can do. It is no laughing matter, and is a real nightmare that the people had to live thru. The initial bombing of HIroshima and Nagasaki claimed nearly 100,000 lives together. It was perhaps the one event in the history of war that showed how horrible we could be. How unthinkable our actions could amount to. **_

_**Only three more chapters to go. Could I trouble you for a review? This was a tough chapter to write.)**_


	25. A Father's Wrath

_**(Thank you everyone for all the reviews, etc... We have only one more chapter to go after this. It's going to be a wild last two chapters... so here we go.) **_

"NO!"

Koenma shook like a leaf on a tree, his entire body coated in a sheen of fine sweat. Laying on Genkai's couch, his normally crisp robes were wrinkled from his tossing and turning. He felt like he was going to be violently ill, and cupped a hand over his mouth to keep from vomiting all over her carpet.

"Koenma?"

Botan peered out from behind the kitchen, sleepy eyed. She wore a fine pink robe that Koenma thought flattered her well. Ignoring his peevish thoughts, he looked her in the eyes, wiping sweat from his brow. "Are you alright? Oh my you're pale! Did you have a bad dream?"

Botan came to his aid, feeling his forehead for fever.

"I... I ... I don't... It wasn't a dream... I don't think..." Koenma shivered. He'd dreamed of bombs, darkness, dreamed of fire. Death. Destruction. All of it... Yukiei and Hiei's doing... Thank god it was only a dream-"

_CRASH! _

Koenma nearly jumped out of his skin, holding tight onto Botan as he whipped around to see the front door nearly broken in by George the Ogre of all people, looking in a right panic.

"GEORGE?" Botan shrieked, shocked. George pulled himself to his feet, trembling all over and looking horrified. Koenma's heart leapt into his throat. Had something happened?

"Koenma sir" George was panting so hard he was difficult to understand, "I had to- I had to- I couldn't- I-"

"George? What the hell are you doing here? I told you to stay behind and keep my father off our trail!" Koenma shouted, angry at his servant. George fell into despair.

"It's just that sir! It's horrible, it's so horrible! Spirit World is in an uproar!" George cried out, trying to catch his breath.

"What's happened?" Koenma demanded. Had his dream been _more _than a dream?

"Hiei and Yukiei took on Anatevka!"

Botan gasped, her hand leaping to her throat. Koenma thought he might feint from shock.

"THE Anatevka?" Koenma squeaked out.

"It gets worse sir! She imploded! The Dragon of the Darkness Flame took her out... and everyone in the community of Rytonia... are dead." George's voice was full of grief. Koenma felt his knees give out and crashed back down onto the couch.

It hadn't been just a dream. He'd seen it all. And now...

"No!" Botan cried out, horrified.

"Dead? All of them?" Koenma whispered. Did that mean that Hiei and Yukiei were... were...?

"Hiei and Yukiei survived... but they're the only ones... Your father knows. He knows... everything." George broke down, clutching out at his horn in sorrow. Koenma was flooded with terror, and he found it hard to breath. His father knew everything? _Everything? _Of course he'd found out... of course he'd realized the minute Anatevka had destroyed Rytonia that she couldn't have done it on her own. He would have seen it all. He would have seen Yukiei and Hiei. He would know where one follows another is sure to be found. He would have realized that Hina was also alive... and he would know where Koenma would keep her.

They had to get out of there. Now.

"Dammit George, this isn't the time for your groveling! We need to get to Hiei and Yukiei! We need to get there fast! Before my father does!" Koenma shouted, kicking the Ogre off of his feet before he could weep any more apologies.

"This is horrible!" Botan wailed, about to cave in as well. Koenma jerked himself from the sofa, straightening his robes and chewing feverishly on his pacifier.

"Not now Botan, not now, Time is a factor!" Koenma seethed. "Get on your oar, and get Yukiei and Hiei back on _this_ side of the kekkai before my father can! Hurry!"

"R-right!" Botan trembled, running out of the room. She slammed the door behind her, and George began to grovel again.

"What are we going to do sir?" George begged, as if Koenma held all the answers. At one point in time he supposed he did... but now it was different. Once Enma decided he wanted someone dead... they were marked.

"... First we get Hiei and Yukiei back where they belong... then we prepare." Koenma murmured.

"For what sir?" George gulped.

"For my father's wrath."

_**(In Rytonia) **_

Botan flew over the fields of the fire strewn Rytonia. Demons from all over were standing at the borders of the once rich lands, screaming out as the flames devoured the houses, mills, pathways, beasts, and people. Skeletons lay everywhere. The only things that moved were the flies over the bodies. The stench was ungodly. Botan coughed feverishly, trying to keep the smell of rotting corpses out of her nose and mouth. She screamed at the top of her voice as she flew lower and lower, desperate to keep from catching on fire.

"HIEI! YUKIEI! ...It's horrible... It's so horrible... HIEI! YUKIEI! WHERE ARE YOU!

HIEI! YUKIEI!"

_**(Deep within the fires) **_

Hiei slowly opened his eyes, only to see blackness, like a thick cloud over the damned. He coughed, fire burning in his lungs. He'd swallowed ash, and it lay thick in his throat. The blackness soon filled away, and he saw dark fires burning all around. The heat prickled at his skin, and he realized he was bleeding heavily over the eyebrow.

"Oh my god..." Hiei choked, sitting up, shivering, "What a mess... I think I won. Anatevka _has _to be dead after this.."

But his thoughts were cut to an abrupt end when Hiei realised he was alone. His father was no where to be seen- No! He was feet away, laying on his side, under an enormous frame of burning debris!

"YUKIEI!" Hiei screamed out, floundering thru the rubble to get to his father's side. Wiping the blood from his eyes, he pulled his father out from under the debris, taking him to safety. "Father! Father, wake up!" Hiei shouted, slapping his father hard on the cheek.

Yukiei slowly woke, ringing in his ears. "God..." he whispered throatily. "I feel like I've been hit by a truck.."

He opened his eyes, only to see his son above him and flames all around. He sat up, his head spinning from the force of impact. What had happened? How had he gotten all the way over here? Where was Anatevka? Where was... the town...? Why was everything... on...fire...

"No..." Yukiei whispered, his eyes wide with horror. He rose up on trembling legs, debris and ash falling off of his armor. Death, chaos, destruction... all of it. Where was Rytonia? Where was the village market? Where was the square? Where was the graveyard? Where was his manor?

A sign crunched underneath Yukiei's feet. In the firelight, part of it read _'Sayuri's Sweets' _.

It was then that he realized... he was _in _the market.

And the market... was gone...

"NO!" Yukiei cried out, stumbling out of the debris of the house he'd fallen into, running into the streets that were coated with fire. "NO!"

But it got worse. Houses were on fire, including his own-!

"OUR HOUSE! OUR HOUSE IS ON FIRE! NO! NO NOT MY HOUSE! SUKIEI! MAKKA! HIKARA! UMARETTA! NO!"

Yukiei ran faster than he'd ever done so in his life, heedless of the cries that his son threw into the wind. Knocking past debris after debris, Yukiei stumbled up the slope of his house, the burning fires scalding his skin and fringing his hair. He did not care. His house, his house-! His one and only house! The house he'd grown up in! The house he'd been born in! Gone! All of it gone! No!

"Yukiei! Yukiei! Don't! Don't..." Hiei ran after his father, trying to catch up with him.

Yukiei was grabbed tight from behind as his son halted him in his tracks. They fought, struggling to run, and yet to not run. To flee, and yet to not flee. Yukiei tried out, his wracking sobs puncturing the air like a rusted knife. He screamed and screamed up to the blistering black sky, praying that somewhere up there would be an answer for all this pain and suffering. Why?

Why had this happened?

"HIEI! YUKIEI!"

Hiei looked up thru tear stained eyes to see Botan flying down from overhead, her oar glistening like a ray of purest sun amongst all the horrors. She flew down into the wreckage, landing in a crash, dirt, blood, and ash staining her pink robe. She looked petrified.

"HIEI!" Botan screamed out, hugging him tightly as if he were thought to be dead. "Thank god! You're alive! You have to go now! Both of you have to go!"

Hiei stared at the woman he'd mocked, insulted, hated even. He remembered how he'd threatened to break her wrist if she even touched him. How could she forgive him...? And yet, here she was hugging him and begging him to get away from harm. How could friends like her even exist in the world?

"I... I can't. I can't leave-" Hiei gestured to the broken fiery land, once shining with peace, now utterly destroyed.

"Hiei, Enma knows! He knows Yukiei's alive! He's coming to kill him RIGHT NOW! We have to go before he catches you! What part of that don't you understand?" Botan cried out, holding him tight so that his lungs were sore.

"Enma? Enma knows!" Hiei panicked, grabbing his father and shaking him roughly, pulling him away from the fiery wreckage of their manor. It was hard to believe that early that morning they'd woken in their beds, had breakfast with the family... It was hard to realize not even twenty four hours ago... all of this had been different.

Why did life have to be so cruel?

But that was hardly the point. They had to run now, otherwise life wouldn't even be an option in the cards! Hiei jerked Yukiei out of his grieving, throwing him at Botan.

"Get him out of here! Now!" Hiei shouted, a fire never before seen burning in his eyes.

"Hiei, please-!" Botan wailed, but Hiei shoved them back even harder.

"Go! You can't take all three of us at the same time!"

"Hiei, I don't want to leave you here!"

"JUST GO!" Hiei roared, angrily.

Botan was taken aback. Shaky, she pulled Yukiei one armed onto the oar, kicking off from the ground and rising high up into the sky, with her, the flames soared higher and higher, licking the ground and claiming the innocence that once lay there. Hiei watched them rise higher and higher, praying for their safety and swearing his own.

He watched them fly into the heavens, till they vanished from sight. Now all that was left was his own pain, his own demise waiting to be met.

No. He couldn't die like this.

Hiei turned on his heel, staring down at the valley that had once been his families home. He had done this. He had destroyed everything. In that moment, he swore his own suffering... For every soul that he had allowed to perish, he would burn thrice over in the ovens of hell. For every cobblestone of every street that had been blown apart in the blast... he would feel the scorch and sting.

Broken hearted, Hiei turned way from Rytonia. He ran for his life, brushing flames away as he did so, tripping over fallen beams and jumping over potholes that had been blown in the road. Around him, dead bodies covered the land, charred black. Hiei refused to look. The images burned into his eye sockets, cutting him deep.

He would never forget this day. It was a day that would live on in infamy in my mind... scorning he soul forever.

_**(At Genkais Dojo) **_

"Hina!" Koenma ran up and down the hallways, banging on doors, "Hina where are you?"

"I'm here." Hina pulled herself groggily from her half hearted sleep. All day she'd been feeling ill, as if she had a virus, and she felt the weariness of her condition upon her. Beside her, Yukina awoke from her sleep. Sitting up, her daughter helped her into the hallway, fearful from Koenma's petrified tone.

"It's happened. He's found out." Koenma grabbed Hina tight by the upper arms, pulling her down the hallway and nearly out of her daughters grasp.

"What?" Hina demanded, jerking back.

"Enma has found out Yukiei's alive!" Koenma snapped, clarifying.

"Oh god!" Hina's heart fell into the pit of her stomach. She panicked, clinging tight to her daughter. Part of her prayed this was only some horrible dream, brought on from insanity and lack of sleep. The other part of her knew however... this was far from being a dream. Far.

"You're both in grave danger!" Koenma pulled Hina and Yukina down the hallway into Genkai's state room where warm light flooded the scene.

"What do we do?" Yukina asked, afraid.

"You have to go into hiding! Right now!" Koenma explained. "As soon as Yukiei and Hiei are back!"

"Where are they?" Hina begged.

"Here!"

Botan came crashing thru the front door, Yukiei's arm slung over her shoulder as she drug the man over the stoop.

"Hina-" Yukiei coughed, crashing to the ground, bloody, blackened, and bruised. Yukina screamed, horrified. Hina pelted forward, scooping her husband from the floor.

"What happened?" She begged, holding Yukiei's face in her hands, "Look at me. Look at me! What happened? Hmm? Why are you covered in blood?" Hina sighed wearily, looking up to the ceiling, "Why is he always covered in blood? Yukiei...?"

Yukiei was garbling, talking nonsense thru his pain.

"We were never meant for life, Hina. This has all been some horrible game-" Yukiei moaned, his pain getting the better of him.

"Yukiei hush!" Hina cut him off, but Yukiei just kept rambling, his hysteria clear.

"Death knows! Death knows we got away from him! He knows and he's going to take us back!" Yukiei shouted over his wife's pleas, his eyes popping.

"Yukiei... What... What happened to you? And where's Hiei? I can't loose you a second time! Tell me what happened!" Hina begged, shaking him gently.

Yukiei stared at her for a moment or two, his red eyes so full of sorrow that she could actually feel how deep his pain went. It was bone deep- no... soul deep. Deeper than existence itself. It was the kind of pain that could not be healed.

"We went to Rytonia. We traveled there. Sukiei... Sukiei was still alive." Yukiei choked out.

"Your mother's alive?" Hina was shocked.

"She... She was with Makka! And Hikara! and Umaretta! They were all alive." Yukiei bit back a terrible sob, and Hina held him tighter. She realized just how cold he was, and it frightened her. He was normally so warm... why..?

"But that's a good thing! That's good, Yukiei!" Hina was utterly lost, fearful for her husbands condition. And where was Hiei? Surely... Surely Hiei had come with Yukiei? Surely?

"I... I went to the graveyard... I saw Yasuo-" Yukiei's bitter resolve was breaking down into hysteria again.

"You saw Yasuo?" Hina was shocked.

"I... He thought I was dead, Hina! He thought I was a ghost! And I realized... I realized I was a ghost! I realized that I could never be alive, that we could never be alive, because we're meant to be dead! Don't you understand? Hina this world was never meant for us to be alive! Everything happens for a reason! We died for a reason! Our children didn't know us for a reason! We've ruined everything! We've created a mess and death is going to clean it up! Death is going to take us away!"

A long silence followed.

Hina stared down into her husbands eyes, realizing the truth in his words. Could it be that Death, the invisible force that spun the world around, knew that Hina and Yukiei were cheating him? Would he take them back again?

"Yukiei... I don't know what to say to you. For the first time in our marriage... I don't know what to say." Hina was at a loss. Yukiei trembled in her arms, his eyes unseeing to the warmth and safety around him. He was marked.

"Hina... We've made a horrible mistake." Yukiei moaned, rubbing his face with dirty hands. Hina rubbed his back, she looked up to her daughter, who trembled clinging tightly to Botan. Koenma would not meet her gaze, sitting on an abandoned chair with his head in his hands.

"Living isn't a mistake." Hina choked out, holding back her own tears, "Yukina, pack everything you can. Botan, help her please. We have to move fast!"

She rose up, taking Yukiei with her, wrapping her arms tightly around him.

"Hurry, Yukina!" Botan cried out, guiding the young koorime down the hall on fast feet, "Hurry!"

As the other two left the room, Yukiei and Hina stared down at Koenma.

"It's not a question of _if _you'll be caught, but when." Koenma's voice was thick with anguish. "...It's over, Hina. It's over."

Hina held her husband tight, fear in her heart and sweat in her palms. What could she do?

Truly... What could she do...?

_**(Across the Valley of Vagabonds) **_

Hiei ran faster than he'd ever run in his entire life, tripping over roots and branches as he skirted across the darkened Valley of Vagabonds. In the sky overhead, black clouds billowed from the smolder Rytonia fires that were carried on a fast paced wind.

He flew thru the fields of grain, alongside foxes and horses that were escaping the wild fires. Not daring to look over his shoulder at the sound of voices, he made it to the forest's canopy without interruption. But an ill placed stump sent him flying and he crashed to the ground, rolling into the dirt. He spat twigs and sod out of his mouth, looking over his bruised shoulder, Hiei was shocked to see several men in Spirit Detective suits staring down at him.

He didn't even know what hit him.

Without warning, a thick silver web shot forward from one hand, entwining him in it's mass and knocking him unconscious.

Had any passerby's looked on, they would have seen several men dragging a silver mass across the ground to a newly opened kekkai barrier, the glow of the Rytonian wasteland lighting the scene in deep bloody reds.

_**(Back at Genkai's Dojo) **_

Yukina and Hina rubbed Yukiei's shoulders, waiting for the all clear from Koenma to make their way into the night.

"Where are we going to hide?" Yukina whispered. "And where is Ni-san?"

"I don't know honey." Hina sighed, "I just pray he's safe. Maybe Rui will help us! Rui was always a good friend."

Still sitting on the chair with his head in his hands, Koenma trembled in the moonlight.

"I am so sorry, Hina." Koenma whispered.

"Not now, Koenma." Hina chided, not in the mood for his too-late nonsense, "Yukiei? Yukiei honey... It's time for us to go."

But Yukiei was still unresponsive, comatose after his dialogue of horrid information. Koenma shook his head, looking Hina in the face.

"... It's too late for us Hina. It's much too late." Koenma whispered.

"Koenma-" Hina grumbled.

"I'm so sorry." Koenma choked out.

The pair of them stared at one another. Deep in his brown eyes were full of misery. Hina could see so much in those eyes. She could see a son who wanted his father to love him. She could see a boss who wanted only the best for his employees. She saw a friend who hated watching his companions go into fire after fire. She saw a prince... who only wanted to be normal.

Who never asked for any of this.

"... It's..." Hina paused, tentatively, "It's alright."

_**CRASH! **_

Hina jumped nearly out of her skin, clutching onto Yukiei and Yukina, both of whom stared wide eyed at the front door.

Someone was attempting to break in.

_**CRASH!**_

_**CRASH!**_

_**CRAAAAAAAAAASH!**_

Before everything caved in and darkness consumed her, Hina saw many men rushing thru the doorway, a strange silken material with them. She saw Botan and Koenma get knocked out of the way. She saw her daughter being ripped from her arms...

And then everything... was gone.

_**(...) **_

Hina had a pounding in her head that couldn't be soothed.

She couldn't remember how she had gotten here.

"Hina."

Hina slowly opened her eyes to see a blinding light overhead. Her vision cleared as a dark figure loomed overhead. She was shown a man in a doctors coat who sneered down at her, emotionless.

"Where... Where am I..?" Hina whispered. She was chained to a table. She could not move an inch!

"Spirit World. Where you belong." The doctor grumbled.

"Where... Where is..." Hina asked, unable to finish, but it seemed she didn't need to. The doctor gestured to Hina's left.

"Yukiei? Right next to you." The doctor explained. Hina slowly forced her head to turn left against a searing pain that held her still. She saw Yukiei, strapped down by metal bands to a table, devoid of his armor and sword. The pair of them wore white kimono's similar to ones the dead were buried in. Hina knew that was no coincidence.

"...Please... Please let me go. Please... I have children!" Hina blurted out, emotion overcoming her. The doctor did not even flinch at her tears.

"It's not a question of letting go or holding on. Your death happened for a reason, Hina. Being brought back to life was a terrible thing... and it's shaped your soul into something it should never have been." The doctor turned away, as if bored with their conversation. Hina cried out, begging for him to turn back around.

"Please, I have children!" She wailed again, "I have children! Please! PLEASE!"

The doctor paused, turning back around to regard her with a scrutinizing eye.

"You're in turmoil Hina... You'll be fine once we put you back where you belong." The doctor sneered, closing the door behind him, locking both trapped souls in the patients room to await their executions.

"PLEEEAASE!" Hina cried out, sobbing so hard her lungs out, "NOOOOO! NOOOOOOO!"

_**(In the other room) **_

Kneeling before his father, Koenma felt Enma's hot breath on the nape of his neck. He hid his fear, holding back the trembles that wanted to ripple all the way out to her fingertips. Part of him still believed that something could be done. That Hina and Yukiei might be saved.

"Father-" Koenma tried to began, but Enma growled.

"Silence." Enma snarled.

For a minute, Koenma waited then he began again. "Please-"

"Koenma... As Prince of Spirit World, your duty is what?" Enma demanded, the same demand he'd asked of his son since he was old enough to talk and walk.

"... Protection for the people." Koenma whispered, the same phrase he'd spoken since he could remember.

"Where does reincarnation come in to all of that?"

Koenma dared not to look up to his father's eyes, sitting here in Enma's throne room before his ruler, god, and creator.

"...I... I know it was selfish-"

"Selfish? Selfish?" Enma roared, making Koenma wince at the sound, "A woman is crying in a room down the hall! Crying and begging for her life, and there's nothing that can be done to save her! She should never have been brought back to life in the first place! Now she has to die again! Do you have any idea how scared she is? Do you have any idea how she must feel?"

Unable to stop himself, Koenma blundered on, "... Why not let her live-"

"LET HER LIVE? Are you INSANE?" Enma snarled, "Life and Death are not books you can open or close? They are sacred balances and you have SCREWED WITH THEM FOR A TOURNAMENT! FOR! A! TOURNAMENT!" at this, Enma slammed his fist down on the arm balance on his throne, causing a rumble to roll across the room. "YOU ARE NOT MY SON! YOU ARE A FOOL! AN ASS WHO CALLS HIMSELF A PRINCE!"

Koenma's eyes nearly swam with tears, but suddenly a voice much louder than his father's echoed in his ears.

"_Stay." _

Yukiei? Koenma looked up, listening intently to his heart.

"_Stay with us." _

Koenma recalled it so easily, how Yukiei had opened his arms to Koenma like a father would. How he had protected him in a time when he thought no one could save him from his actual father's wrath.

Koenma rose up, turning away from Enma who continue to shout and scream. Without looking to see if his father cared, Koenma made his way out of the throne room, forever abandoning the idea of being a pawn in his father's wars. Of being a slave instead of a son.

"WHERE ARE YOU GOING!"

Koenma had reached the door. He pulled it open, looking back over his shoulder only once to stare his father in the eye.

"Goodbye father." Koenma whispered, feeling sorry for the man who thought he could couldn't Koenma.

"KOENMA! KOENMA! DO YOU HEAR ME! I'M TALKING TO YOU BOY! GET BACK HERE!" Enma was purple in the face with rage.

Koenma closed the door.

"KOENMA! KOENMA! GET BACK IN HERE! GET BACK IN HERE AND FEAR ME!"

But Koenma was already gone, and Enma knew that the damage had been done.

The dejected king sunk back into his seat, breathing heavily and hating the world he'd created with good intentions.

Is this what it meant to be a father?

_**(End Scene) **_

_**(One last chapter to go now. Thank you everyone for all your reviews, praise, and critiques... Could I trouble you for a review?) **_


	26. Regardless

_**(Thank you everyone for following Mother In the Fire. It's been really exciting and challenging for me to write a YYH fanfiction about a family that I believe should have been given a better chance at life. But as I wrote, I understood what I believe the creator knew from the beginning. That Hina and Yukiei, no matter how good they were, just couldn't exist. The world was and is much too cruel. Thankfully for us though, God is neither cruel nor uncaring. I hope I make that clear in this last chapter. I'd like to give a special thanks to Jessica, a reviewer who has always demanded more and received more) **_

"Hina."

"Yukiei... What do we do...?"

"Wait... I guess..."

A shift of fabric filled the air as a chained prisoner attempting to alleviate soreness in her limbs... then silence again.

"... I just wish... I just wish we could have been left alone. That we could have lived forever with the children. That we could have been together..." Hina choked back a sob.

"Why can't life be lived? Why do we have to die when others go on forever... and do nothing with their existence? I would have been the best father the world ever knew. I would have loved my children with every breath in my body. Every second of every minute."

"I know... That's why I love you."

A pause.

"Hina... forgive me. I should never have left. We could be at home right now... but I had to take Hiei to Rytonia. And now... now..." It was Yukiei's turn to bit back a sob of his own.

"Yukiei... It's alright. I understand. You wanted to show him his birth land. You wanted to give him the rights of a young man. There's nothing wrong with that." Hina sighed.

"You don't... blame me for the slaughter?"

A great pause filled the air.

"No, my darling. Never. It breaks my heart that so may had to die... but I know that if you could have stopped Anatevka, you would have. You tried your best... Yukiei... that's all anyone could ask of you."

Yukiei breathed a sigh of relief. It didn't change a thing... but somehow... it made him feel a million times better.

" I thought that I could be the kind of man my father was. But I couldn't." There was bitterness in his voice.

"You're father was a good man, but he was not the only man. Yukiei, you are better than your father... You are _yourself. _That is more than enough for me and your children." Hina whispered, her voice like an angels... forgiving and soft.

"... They were dead. They were all dead." Yukiei moaned, remembering the fires and the faces of the dead.

"I know."

"And it was my fault-"

"No. It was Anatevka's fault. Not yours. Never yours."

A pause.

"Hina... I love you."

"... I love you too."

Fingers twitched, longing to entwine with their mates.

"Forever?" Yukiei whispered.

"For always."

_**(In the other room) **_

"Botan." Enma growled, observing the pair that were strapped to the iron slabs thru a one sided window.

"...Sir..." The normally joyful grim reaper hung her head low, miserable and broken hearted.

"Take their souls." Enma finally gave the command.

Botan broke down crying, nodding her head unable to resist the order. She left Enma's side, opening the door to the bright room full of glaring light. Her sobs echoed, bouncing off the walls. As Botan dragged her unwilling feet across the room, she came to stand before Hina and Yukiei, both of whom looked up at her with frightened faces.

"Botan... my dear Botan. Why are you crying?" Hina whispered, a grim smile upon her face.

"I'm sorry. I have to- I can't- I..." Botan put trembling fingers over her mouth, unwilling to go on. She couldn't say it out loud. She couldn't do that to Hina or Yukiei.

But Hina pressed on, still smiling, "Botan. Thank you for showing me kindness. You were the first face I saw after I woke... and you are now the last. I don't think there are words to describe how much that means to me."

Botan stared down her old friend, and finally said the words that made her mouth burn with bitterness.

"I have to take your souls." Botan sobbed aloud. Hina's face fell, and a lone tear trickled down her pale and clammy cheek.

"... Take mine first. I deserve to die... After what happened to all those people. My people."

Botan looked in shock at Yukiei, whose lips trembled with sorrow. Botan stood over him, touching his normally warm face with cold fingers.

"Yukiei... I'm so sorry." Botan whispered. Truly, if anyone hadn't deserved this, it had been Yukiei. Poor Yukiei, who had only wanted to be a good father. Who had woken up only to find 600 years flashing by. Who had been without his people. Without his friends. Utterly lost to times horrid raging river.

"It's alright. Just... Promise me something."

"Anything." Botan assured him.

"Give all that I had to Hiei. All of it. My armor, my sword... all of it." Yukiei whispered, beginning to breath heavily. It was time.

Botan raised her hands, damning them for the acts they were about to commit. She pressed them onto Yukiei's chest, where they began to crackle with energy.

"Of course." Botan sniffled, holding back tears.

"Yukiei?" Hina whispered, her voice full of fear. Botan bit back a sob as she slowly, ever so slowly, pulled at Yukiei's light.

His red eyes were wide, shocked at the sensation... the last sensation he would ever feel. His soul began to appear in Botan's hands, bright red and beautiful. She pulled it further and further from his body... till... at lost last... it was in her hands alone. Yukiei fell limp to the table.

He was dead.

"Yukiei?" Hina cried out, terrified.

No response.

"Yukiei!" Hina broke down into noisy tears, held only by the straps that tied her to the table. Unable to look her in the eye, Botan cradled Yukiei's wounded soul, nurturing it gently as she walked back to Enma who stretched out his enormous hand without once taking his eyes off of the only remaining patient. Botan gently handed off the soul, which Enma lifted up high in his large hands. With a boost from his godly ki, Yukiei's soul drifted high up, floating to the top of the cieling where it twinkled merrily... as if it was happy at finally being free.

Enma gave her a firm nod of the head. Her job was half completed.

Hating herself, Botan walked back into the room where Hina was crying inconsolably.

"Hina..." Botan choked out, "It's time."

Hina trembled, terrified on the slab. She stared up at Botan, her eyes full of tears and terror. She did not want to die. She wanted to live. Botan could see that plainly, and it broke her heart.

"Do you... believe... in heaven?" Hina whispered, petrified. Botan placed her hands over Hina's stomach, gently cupping the high swells of her breast. Hina breathed shallowly, panicking.

"...Of course I do." Botan assured her sweetly.

"Do you... Think I'll get in?" Hina hiccuped.

"Yes." Botan whimpered, smiling against the pain, "I know you'll get in."

"My daughter... my poor daughter. My poor Yukina..." Hina moaned, her heart hurting.

"Don't fret. She is loved. She is safe. And she is wise." Botan whispered, touching Hina's brow softly, "And so are you."

"...Goodbye..."

Hina stared at Botan with wide ruby red eyes. "I'll never forget you."

"Nor I you." Botan bit her lip till it bled, slowly beginning to pull out Hina's soul.

At first, Hina's body shook, reacting violently. Yes, Botan could see how desperately her soul clung... it wanted to live. But no. It knew it was time to go. After a few seconds of gentle pulling, the tiny light blue orb finally came free.

Hina fell still on the table, her head lolling to the side, her eyes cold and unseeing.

She was gone.

Botan wailed.

_**(Many hours later) **_

"It's done?" Koenma asked thickly, sitting behind his desk near a crackling fire.

"It's done." Botan whispered, sounded like she had a severe head cold. Koenma knew she'd been crying her eyes out ever since she'd carried out his father's damned order.

Across the room, Hiei and Yukina sat in chairs opposite Koenma's desk. They said nothing. They barely even moved.

"M-mother-" Yukina began to cry, so that hiroseke's bounced onto the ground. Hiei grabbed her all at once, holding her tight.

"Don't cry. Don't." He shook her, almost rough, "Look at me. We can't bring them back. We have to live. Okay?"

Yukina looked into her brother's eyes, seeing only pain mirrored in their reflection.

"Hiei..." she whispered, holding him tightly. Her only living family... again. "Ni-san."

After a moment of hesitant silence, Koenma spoke up.

"Forgive me, Hiei." He whispered.

Hiei gritted his teeth, a muscle in his jaw jumping from anger.

"For what. For bringing my mother back when you shouldn't have? For allowing her to be caught? For allowing her to die? What part should I forgive you for? All of it? Is that how you'd have it?" Hiei snapped, his old character returning to him in light of the death of his parents.

"I know you're angry-"

"You know nothing!" Hiei sneered, attempting to hide his hurt. He rose up, taking his siter with him. "You didn't learn anything, did you Koenma? This was just some type of game to you. You never saw her... you saw a pawn in a game. You didn't look my mother in the eye, and know she was my mother. She begged for my life when they threw me from the cliffs. My only memory of my mother in actual life, was of her screaming and crying 'no, no, not my baby. not my baby. don't kill my baby. I'll do anything'... but you, you just saw a healer."

Hiei spat on the ground by Koenma's feet, a direct insult.

"Hiei, I had to do what I had to do to protect you! To protect the team! Blame me if you want, but it had to be done! Without her healing powers you would have died this tournament round!" Koenma shouted, angry.

"And it would have been an honorable death. One I would have accepted gladly!" Hiei shouted back.

"Without Hina-"

"DON'T!" Koenma shivered at Hiei's roar, "Don't ever say her name again! Ever again!"

"Without your mother, you would not have revealed to Yukina you were her brother. And you would have continued to live a lie." Koenma pressed on, adding insult to injury.

"Shuttup!" Hiei roared like a lion before a kill, grabbing the corner of Koenma's desk. With untold strength typical of Mukuro's top warrior, he flipped Koenma's desk over so that it broke into several pieces, the contents falling all around.

"You don't know what you're talking about!" Hiei roared.

"Hiei, please-!" Botan begged, unwilling to watch the savagery.

"And you! You watched her die! You killed her!" Hiei snarled, rounding on Botan. Botan cowed, afraid.

"Hiei, she accepted death! She knew she had to die!" Botan squeaked out, terrified Hiei might launch back and slap her.

"Accepted it? She cried and begged for her life!" Hiei snarled.

"But she accepted it in the end! Please-!"

But Hiei would stand for no more of it. He turned away, wrenching Yukina along so that she stumbled slightly before regaining her balance, running to her brother's side. "No!" Hiei shouted, walking to the door and yanking it open. "We're done here."

He pulled Yukina thru the door. The pair of them walked down the hallway, leaving Botan and Koenma behind.

The two pairs would not speak to each other again for many years.

_**(Many days later, back in the Ningenkai) **_

Inside the dojo, Yukina slowly packed away her mother's belongings, taking her time to stop, cry, and grieve where ever she had to. Buson whimpered, nuzzling her lap. Poor Buson... he'd never asked for any of this. Even Yukina's birds were sorrowful in their cage.

Outside, Hiei sat on the steps where he'd first seen his mother after a lifetime of sorrow. He looked back up at the dojo, where his mother had often sat in the garden, looking out into the sky. Down below, the kekkai barrier where his mother and father said goodbye for the last time still stood, humming gently with it's power. He clenched his hands tight until blood formed in his grasp. Time was utterly merciless.

A deep gray hue hung over the grounds. The sky for shame would not peek thru the clouds, so that an utter gloom fell over the dojo and it's care takers. The garden wilted from lack of water. The earth was dusty, in need of rain. High above, heat lightning crackled. A tough wind blew thru the trees. Hiei looked out into the bustling market, where once upon a time Hiei had strolled along the stalls with his mother in tow. People down below were laughing, carrying on as if nothing had ever happened.

The thought that people still carried on with their daily lives... ate, slept, made merry, without knowing that his parents were dead... it baffled him. How could people still laugh in the world?

Hiei put his head between his knees, his grief rooting him to the ground like cement.

For many years after that fateful day, a rumor spread thru out the village that surrounded Genkai's village... that a woman could be seen walking among the trees. A woman with deep red eyes and light blue hair, that longed for her children and wept for the loss of her husband.

For many years after that fateful day, whispers could be heard that deep within the forests there lived a voice that drifted thru the trees and carried on the wind. The voice of a man who promised the world to his son, and believed in goodness. His words were legend:

"_You're just a young man, my son. You have yet to experience the joy of children. But, I assure you, the moment you do... everything will change. That is why my families symbol is the Mother In the Fire. Because the woman is the queen of heaven, and protects us always with her love. Even though her body has long since been scattered as ashes... she still lives in each one of us, pushing us to protect, regardless of the pain that might come." _

_Regardless_.

The word flitted thru the trees, ruffling the hair of a tired man with a white starburst that touched the crown of his jet black hair. It caused the man to look up to the sky... the word drifted on the breeze, and soared amongst the birds in the sky...

_**(Well guys, that's the end of Mother in the Fire. I'm sorry that it ended on a sad note, but really there was no way a story like this could not end. No, this story line is not fully over... but Hina and Yukiei are at peace now. They won't be coming back to make an appearance in the second story continuing on after this one. The next story is going to be called 'Baby's Blood' and it's going to be about the group stepping and becoming adults (marrying, having children, settling down) It will also be about Koenma, Botan, Hiei, and Yukina reconciling with what happened to Hina and Yukiei. **_

_**Thank you to everyone who reviewed for Mother In the Fire) **_

_**Fin**_


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